Riyadh, Riyadh Daily, 03 January 2018 – For the seventh consecutive day, the protests in Iran continue to rage in condemnation of the policies of the mullah regime, which is seeking to export the Islamic revolution and propagate its ideologies that have governed the functioning of the country for nearly four decades.
Protesters are calling for a stop to Tehran’s policy of interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring states, supporting terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, besides pursuing several other adverse practices. The mullah regime’s attempt to paint the unrest as only a protest against economic issues is clearly an eyewash. Though the people are indeed suffering from economic problems, the truth is that they are simply fed up with their rulers. They have had enough of the regime’s involvement in many conflicts around the world, intrusion in the domestic affairs of neighboring countries, and financing of terrorist operations.
Observers believe that the current demonstrations in Iran are the biggest since the uprising in the country nine years ago. The 2009 protests had erupted due to the Iranian authorities’ rigging of the presidential elections. They were violently quashed.
The ongoing demonstrations are spread over 25 Iranian cities. The first spark was lit in the Iranian city of Mashhad, the second largest city after Tehran. The shrine of Imam Reza, an important Shiite historical figure, is located in that city. The protesters chanted slogans rejecting the ideology being promoted by the regime, the funding of terror, and wasting of public money in failed political adventures that bring no benefit to the Iranian people.
According to political observers and world news agencies, the continuation of the protests for the seventh day has taken the mullahs and politicians by surprise. Voices are being raised against Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the religious leadership, particularly against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. “Death to Rouhani” and “Death to Khamenei” frequently rent the air. Besides, the protesters chant grossly offensive slogans against religious figures close to the current regime. They called for an end to the Iranian role in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. The most important aspect of the ongoing uprising is that they have been spontaneous across several cities, without any instigation from community or opposition leaders.
The entire world has condemned Iran’s brutal handling of the demonstrations. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Hailey has stressed that these protests are spontaneous and not instigated by foreign bodies. They are a result of frustrations building up among the populace since 1979.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterich regretted the killing of protesters and called for respecting the rights of the Iranian people.
An EU spokesperson has also called on the Iranian regime to ensure the rights of the citizens to highlight their grievances through demonstrations.