Iranians rally blaming U.S. and Israel
The flow of information from the Islamic Republic has been hampered by an internet blackout since January 8
Iranians at a rally in Tehran say the United States and Israeli regime are “directly” responsible for the blood of those who lost their lives during the recent foreign-backed riots in the country.
In their final statement, the participants called on Iranian officials to take immediate steps to improve the living conditions and firmly counter economic corruption.
They said the spiteful enemies of Iran, especially the criminal US and child-killing Israeli regime, used their organized mercenaries to destroy public and private property, violate Islamic sanctities, and target the “holy unity” of the Iranian nation to prepare the ground for foreign interference.
The participants in the nationwide rallies chanted slogans and renewed their support for Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
They condemned the armed terrorists and mercenaries for desecrating the holy Qur’an, setting mosques, medical centers, and public properties on fire, and killing civilians. They also called on the judiciary to severely punish the American-Zionist perpetrators.
The participants also slammed any foreign interference in Iran’s affairs, as well as remarks by US President Donald Trump and European countries in support of the recent riots.
The statement emphasized the need to respond properly to the rightful demands of the Iranian people.
Iranian authorities accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting trouble and called for the nationwide rally after a violent crackdown on protests that have posed one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump said the U.S. may meet Iranian officials and he was in contact with Iran's opposition, while piling pressure on its leaders, including threatening possible military action over lethal violence against protesters.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 544 people - 496 protesters and 48 security personnel, with 10,681 people arrested since the protests began on December 28 and spread around the country.
The flow of information from the Islamic Republic has been hampered by an internet blackout since January 8.
Iran's leaders are facing fierce demonstrations that evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to defiant calls for the fall of the deeply entrenched clerical establishment, and with the country's regional clout much reduced.
