Iran's Revolutionary Guard: People, Security Forces 'Have Broken the Chain' of Unrest
Iranian worshippers chant slogans during a rally against anti-government protestors after the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Jan. 5, 2018.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said in a statement Sunday that the Iranian people and the country's security forces played a role in ending the recent wave of unrest that the IRGC says was fomented by foreign enemies.
The group said in a statement, "The new epic of the proud, conscious, pious, and revolutionary Iranian people, along with the distinguished presence of tens of thousands of loyal Basij volunteer forces in calming the riots and the sincere endeavors of the brethren of the Law Enforcement Force and the Intelligence Ministry have broken the chain woven by America, Britain, the Zionist regime [Israel], the Saudi royal family, the Hypocrites [the banned Mojahedin-e-Karl Organization] and monarchists and eliminated the witchery of a new sedition."
Iran's parliament holds a special session Sunday to discuss the anti-government protests that began December 28 and continued into the following week.
In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside of Iran, people are affected by tear gas fired by anti-riot police to disperse demonstrators in a protest over the country's weak economy, in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
Iran's ISNA news agency reported that Iran's interior minister, head of intelligence and security council chief are all expected to attend. On the agenda are discussions of the root cause of the protests, as well as legal help for protesters jailed during the demonstrations.
The session was called by a group of reformist lawmakers, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In a letter, those lawmakers called for legal assistance for the detained and condemned any outside "interference" in the protests, calling out the United States in particular.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to soon decide whether to continue waiving sanctions on Iran that were suspended under the 2015 international deal on Iran's nuclear program. The waiver must be renewed every 120 days, according to U.S. law. Trump could decide not to renew, putting U.S. trade sanctions back into effect.
In Europe, supporters of the anti-government protesters in Iran have been gathering to show their support in The Hague, Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm, London and Paris.
People demonstrate in solidarity with anti-government protests in Iran near the Iranian embassy in Paris, France, Jan. 6, 2018.
At least 22 people have died in the protests and more than 1,000 have been arrested. Hard-line cleric Ahmad Khatami told worshipers in a sermon Friday that those arrested should be treated as enemies of Islam, particularly those who have burned the flag. "There should be no mercy for them," he said.
Government official Mansour Gholami has told reporters that about a quarter of those arrested have been released, but he did not provide exact numbers.
Iran Protests: Dec. 31, 2017
1/22People protest in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017, in this picture obtained from social media.
2/22Protesters in Tehran's Valiasr avenue overturned a police car.
3/22Opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hold a protest outside the Iranian embassy in west London, Dec. 31, 2017.
4/22In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, university students attend a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, in Tehran, Dec. 30, 2017.
5/22A university student attends a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017. A wave of spontaneous protests over Iran's weak economy swept into Tehran Saturday, with college students and others chanting against the government just hours after hard-liners held their own rally in support of the clerical establishment.
6/22Iranian students run for cover from tear gas at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
7/22Police vehicles are seen during a protest near the university of Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017, in this picture obtained from social media.
8/22Iranian students scuffle with police at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
9/22People protest near the University of Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017, in this photo obtained from social media.
10/22People protest in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017, in in this picture obtained from social media.
11/22People protest in Tehran, Iran Dec. 30, 2017, in this still image from a video obtained by Reuters.
12/22In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 file photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, university students attend a protest inside Tehran University while anti-riot Iranian police prevent them to join other protesters, in Tehran, Iran.
13/22Opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hold a protest outside the Iranian embassy in west London, Dec. 31, 2017.
14/22Opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hold a protest outside the Iranian embassy in west London, Dec. 31, 2017.
15/22This photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, demonstrators attend a protest over Iran's weak economy, in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
16/22In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside of Iran, people are affected by tear gas fired by anti-riot Iranian police to disperse demonstrators in a protest over Iran's weak economy, in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
17/22Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
18/22Iranians gather in support of the government at the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
19/22Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017.
20/22Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in the capital Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017. Tens of thousands of regime supporters marched in cities across Iran in a show of strength for the regime after two days of angry protests directed against the country's religious rulers.
21/22Iranian protesters chant slogans at a rally in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017. Iranian hard-liners rallied Saturday to support the country's supreme leader and clerically overseen government as spontaneous protests sparked by anger over the country's ailing economy roiled major cities in the Islamic Republic.
22/22Iranian protesters chant slogans at a rally in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 30, 2017. Iranian hard-liners rallied Saturday to support the country's supreme leader and clerically overseen government as spontaneous protests sparked by anger over the country's ailing economy roiled major cities in the Islamic Republic.
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The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday at the urging of the United States.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called the protests "a powerful exhibition of brave people who have become so fed up with their oppressive government that they are willing to risk their lives in protests." She also addressed the Iranian government, saying, "the U.S. is watching what you do."
In response, the Iranian ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, said it is a "discredit" to the Security Council to hold such a meeting on Iran in the face of the conflicts taking place in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East. He, along with a number of Security Council members, said the United States is meddling in Iran's domestic affairs.
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Gholamali Khoshroo, front, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran, Jan. 5, 2018, at United Nations headquarters in New York.
After the meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, "The UNSC rebuffed the U.S.'snaked attempt to hijack its mandate ... Another FP [foreign policy] blunder for the Trump administration."
Still, U.S. intelligence officials warn Tehran is at a crossroads, noting the protests are the biggest outpouring of public discontent since Iranians took to the streets in 2009 following a disputed presidential election.
"The protests are symptomatic of long-standing grievances that have been left to fester," an intelligence official told VOA on condition of anonymity. "Will it address the legitimate concerns of its people or suppress the voices of its own populace?"
"What is clear is that these concerns are not going away," the official said.
Critics of Iranian President Nassan Rouhani say he has abandoned the poor, pointing to rising prices for key commodities like fuel, bread and eggs.
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