Iran claims to have quelled protests after hundreds reported killed
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The news: Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, said that security forces have taken “total control” of anti-government protests which have gripped the country for over two weeks.
Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran on Monday, the Associated Press reported that Aragchi did not offer any evidence to support the comment. Aragchi also claimed that the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for US President Donald Trump to intervene.
Iranian state television also aired footage of thousands of pro-government demonstrators rallying in Tehran, referring to the counter demonstrations an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism."
The numbers: According to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), more than 540 people have been killed and over 10,500 have been detained during the protests. HRANA is tracking the demonstrations which have spanned 186 cities across Iran’s 31 provinces.
The context: Spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei said that while the country’s communication channel with the US remains open, such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation”, in a news conference on Monday.
The unrest began in late December in response to soaring prices and a sudden plunge in Iran’s currency, before broadening into the largest anti-regime demonstrations since 2022, when the death in custody of Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide protests.
Despite a near-total internet and phone network blackout instigated by the Iranian government, footage has continued to emerge across social media showing large crowds protesting across multiple cities.
Late Sunday night (Monday AEDT) Trump said that Washington is considering possible options to respond to reports of the crackdowns, “We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
The sources: Associated Press, HRANA, CNN, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg
