The massive protests that have rocked Iran for more than two weeks appear to have slowed significantly, as President Donald Trump backed down on his threats to intervene and stop the widespread killing or execution of protesters.
“I deeply respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were scheduled to take place yesterday (more than 800 of them), have been canceled by the Iranian leadership. Thank you!” Trump Published Friday On social reality, in a sudden change in tone from the threats of possible military action a few days ago.
On Tuesday, Trump called on Iranians to continue protesting and “seizing institutions,” saying that “help is on the way.”
The Iranian judiciary said Thursday that a man feared to face the first death penalty will not face the death penalty, but the White House did not provide a source for the claim that 800 people survived.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said on Saturday that street unrest had largely calmed down, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the main instigators had been arrested.
In a public speech, Khamenei denounced Trump’s previous statements regarding the protests. He added, “The President of the United States himself encouraged the instigators.”
He added: “We consider the American president a criminal, whether for the victims, for the damages, or for the slander directed at the Iranian nation.”
Khamenei said that “the Iranian nation defeated America” and security forces arrested the main leaders behind the unrest, adding: “We have no intention of leading the country into war, but we will not let the local criminals go.” [unpunished]”.
The leader also admitted for the first time that “thousands” of people had died in the unrest. Earlier, Iranian officials said hundreds were killed.
The brutal crackdown has left at least 3,090 people dead, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based Iranian activist group that relies on supporters inside Iran to track protests and monitor deaths. The organization also reported 22,123 arrests.
“The Iranian regime has a bloody record, but with the death toll rising, there may be no precedent for the speed and ferocity with which it acted this time,” Ali Fayez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, told NBC News in a text message in response to questions.
Human rights activists and observers say that the vast majority of killings occurred after the Internet was cut off on January 8. It has not been restored yet, According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, Which led to the isolation of most Iranians from the outside world.
Mobile text messaging services, which were also cut off, have been at least partially restored, Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, reported. reported on Friday.
Sparked by economic grievances with the collapse of the rial currency and rising inflation, the demonstrations have turned into one of the biggest challenges the Islamic Republic has faced in the theocracy’s 47-year history, with thousands of people taking to the streets to demand the end of the ruling clerics.
Although the judiciary appeared to back away from carrying out executions, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hardline cleric, called for the execution of protesters in his fiery Friday prayer sermon in Tehran.
“These terrorists should be executed at the same scene of their crimes,” Rouhani was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The Defense Department is preparing to send additional US troops and assets to the Middle East, a US official told NBC News on Wednesday, as the US began evacuating key personnel from its largest military base in the region ahead of a potential strike.
Amnesty International said on Friday that the international community must take action “to end further massacres against demonstrators in Iran.” In a post on XHe called for special sessions of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council to prevent violence.
For now, the mass killings appear to have deterred protesters, but the regime is likely to face future unrest because it has not addressed the root causes of grievances, including a bad economy, water shortages, power outages, and restrictions on social freedoms, analysts say.
“They have already won the battle against their own people, but I think ultimately they will lose the war,” Sina Azudi, director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University, said in a phone interview.
Khamenei admitted on Saturday that “the economic situation is not good, and people’s livelihoods are facing real difficulties,” adding: “Government officials must work twice as hard as usual and act with greater seriousness and determination.”