UN meeting a foreign policy ‘blunder’ for Trump: Zarif

tehran — Thousands of government supporters staged rallies in Iran for a fourth day on Saturday, in a backlash against widespread protests that the clerical establishment has blamed on the country’s enemies.

Saturday’s show of support came a day after Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif said a UN Security Council meeting called by the United States to discuss the protests had proved a “blunder” by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

State television showed rallies in cities including Amol, Semnan and Shadegan waving Iranian flags and chanting “Death to America”, “Death to Israel” and “Death to Britain”.

More than a week of unrest has seen 22 people die and more than 1,000 arrested, according to Iranian officials, in the biggest anti-government protests for nearly a decade.

Residents contacted by Reuters in various cities on Friday said the protests had shown sign of abating, after the government intensified a crackdown on protesters by dispatching Revolutionary Guards forces to several provinces.

Governor in Mashhad was quoted as saying 85 per cent of detainees there had been released after signing a pledge not to re-offend. “Those with a criminal record, or those charged with sabotage such a setting fire to motorcycles or damaging public buildings have been referred to judicial authorities,” governor Alireza Rashidian said. —