Iran airs footage of armed unrest
IRIB says saboteurs attacked civilians during protests
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has released new footage evidencing armed saboteurs attacking Iranian civilians and security personnel during Western-backed armed riots that infiltrated and derailed peaceful economic protests.
Armed rioters were caught on camera attacking civilians in the Islamic Republic, according to footage circulating widely on social media, as unrest continued to grip several cities. The videos show groups of masked men carrying firearms, sticks and knives confronting unarmed people in streets and residential areas, prompting panic and attempts to flee.
Meanwhile Iran's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Gholamhossein Darzi, has sharply criticized the United States during an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the foreign-backed riots in the country.
Darzi called it "shameful" that Washington has turned the UN into "a scene for theater" through unfounded allegations and attempts to exploit the peaceful protests in Iran.
Footage posted on social media showed people gathered outside the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran to identify bodies amid deadly anti-government demonstrations sweeping across Iran.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimated that more than 500 protesters have been killed and almost 10,700 people have been arrested, as the demonstrations have entered a third week. The death toll is an estimate, and the number of fatalities is estimated to be between a few hundred and 12,000 people.
Authorities cut internet access and telephone lines for more than 7 days as mass anti-government protests spread across the country, with Iranians shouting slogans against the ruling theocratic regime as anger mounts over a tanking economy and security crackdowns.
Unrest has since spread nationwide amid deepening distress over economic hardships, including rocketing inflation driven by a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices due to mismanagement and Western sanctions, and curbs on political and social freedoms.
Authorities in the Islamic Republic blamed what they described as “violent rioters” and “criminal elements” for the attacks, saying security forces were working to restore order. Officials warned that anyone carrying weapons or attacking civilians would face severe punishment.
