On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader referred to anti-government demonstrations as “scattered riots” organised by the enemy.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that “these dispersed riots are the passive and clumsy design of the enemy against the vast and inventive developments and activities of the Iranian country.”
Videos posted on social media showed tanks being delivered to Kurdish regions, which have been the focus of the crackdown on demonstrations in response to Mahsa Amini’s death in detention.
Since Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, died on September 16 while being detained by the morality police in Tehran for “inappropriate dress,” protests demanding the overthrow of the clerical leadership have erupted across Iran.
Despite the fact that the protests, now in their fourth week, have not yet succeeded in overthrowing the government, they do represent one of the most audacious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the revolution of 1979, with rumours of strikes expanding to the crucial energy sector.
According to Hengaw, protesters in Saqez destroyed a statue of local members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Women could be heard screaming and gunfire could be heard in video footage from Sanandaj that was posted on the popular Twitter account group Tavsir1500. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the video from Tasvir1500 or Hengaw.
According to rights organisations, the security forces have murdered at least 185 people, including 19 juveniles, injured hundreds, and detained thousands more. According to the administration, more than 20 security personnel have died.
The Iranian government has stated that it will look into any deaths of civilians.
