Iran protests: US accused of interference

Iran has accused the US of “grotesque” interference in its internal affairs in a letter to the UN.
It said the US leadership, in “numerous absurd tweets, [had] incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts” which violated international law.
Twenty-one people died in six days of protests sparked by Iran’s economic problems, which spanned several cities.
On Thursday state media focused on pro-government rallies after a second night without reports of major protests.
The unrest was initially over price rises and corruption but the focus quickly turned to the remote elite and particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
They are the largest protests since the disputed 2009 presidential election.
Since the protests broke out, US President Donald Trump has endorsed them, culminating on Wednesday with the suggestion that the US could offer “great support” to protesters.
Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!
This chimes with the conservative Iranian narrative which blames the protests in part on foreign powers including Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US.
In his letter, Iranian UN envoy GholamaliKhoshroo said the US had a track record of intervening in Iranian affairs.
However, he added, the current administration had “crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilised conduct of international relations”.
Despite professions of solidarity with the Iranian people, he said, the US had actually insulted them by banning ordinary Iranians from entering the US (under Mr Trump’s travel ban) and with Mr Trump’s refusal to certify an internationally agreed deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
The Russian foreign ministry echoed the concerns, urging the US not to interfere in Iran’s “domestic issues”, Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency reports.
On Tuesday, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley branded as “complete nonsense” Iran’s suggestion that external enemies were fomenting the unrest.
She said: “The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.”

 

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