Iran’s Supreme Leader’s first reaction to the protests was expected. And as usual, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused the sworn enemies of the regime in place in Tehran. According to him, Israel and the United States fomented the protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16.
“I say clearly that these riots and the insecurity are the work of the United States, the usurping Zionist regime (Israel), their mercenaries and some traitorous Iranians who have helped them abroad,” said Ayatollah Khamenei , 83 years old. The protest movement has now entered its third week and the repression has increased. During the night from Sunday to Monday, the riot police thus fired steel balls and tear gas against students at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, the most prestigious in Iran.
Joe Biden raises his voice
Following these events, Washington decided to raise its voice. President Joe Biden, “seriously concerned by reports of ever more violent repression”, said on Monday that the United States would impose “new sanctions on the perpetrators of violence” this week. “The United States stands with Iranian women and all Iranian citizens whose courage is an inspiration to the world.”
In the eyes of the Iranian Supreme Leader, however, “the police are obliged to stand up to criminals and ensure the safety of society”. “The girl’s death broke our hearts, but what is not normal is that some people, without proof or investigation, make the streets dangerous, burn the Koran, remove the headscarf from veiled women, set mosques and cars on fire,” he said.
The regime recognizes around 60 dead
“Many women in Iran do not wear the veil perfectly and are strong supporters of the Islamic Republic,” he wrote on Twitter. Above all, according to him, “the United States cannot tolerate a strong and independent Iran. »
At least 92 people have been killed by the repression since the start of the protests, according to the NGO Iran Human Rights, which is trying to assess the death toll despite internet shutdowns and blocking of applications such as WhatsApp or Instagram and other online services in Iran. Authorities claim that around 60 people, including 12 members of the security forces, have been killed since 16 September.