Iran: ‘enemies’ are meddling

Iran’s supreme leader yesterday accused enemies of the Islamic Republic of stirring unrest across the country as a crackdown intensified against anti-government demonstrations.

Police have arrested more than 450 protesters in the capital Tehran over the past three days, the deputy provincial governor said. Protesters also attacked police stations elsewhere in Iran on Monday, news agency and social media reports said.

One member of the security forces was reported killed, bringing to at least 14 the death toll stemming from the boldest challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership since unrest in 2009.

In his first reaction to the unrest, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: “In recent days, enemies of Iran used different tools, including cash, weapons, politics and intelligence apparatus, to create troubles for the Islamic Republic.”

Khamenei said he would address the nation about the recent events “when the time is right”.

He did not mention any enemies by name but Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said the US, Britain and Saudi Arabia were behind the recent riots in Iran.

“Saudis will receive Iran’s unexpected response and they know how serious it can be,” Shamkhani was quoted as saying by Tasnim news.

Musa Ghazanfarabadi, head of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, warned protesters yesterday that those arrested would face harsh punishment.

Ali Asghar Naserbakht, deputy governor of Tehran, said 200 people were arrested on Saturday in Tehran, 150 people on Sunday and 100 people on Monday.

Hundreds of others have been arrested in other cities, according to agency reports.

Deputy Interior Minister Hossein Zolfaghari said 90% of the detainees were under 25, showing frustration among youths from the economic situation and lack of social freedoms.