Tehran, Jan 8 (IANS) Iran’s top judicial authority, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has warned that there will be “no leniency” for anyone accused of aiding what he described as the “enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as nationwide protests intensify across the country.
He alleged that the United States and Israel were behind efforts to incite chaos and unrest in Iran.
“Following announcements by Israel and the US President, there is no excuse for those coming to the streets for riots and unrest,” Ejei, who heads Iran’s judiciary, was quoted as saying by state media.
“From now on, there will be no leniency for whoever helps the enemy against the Islamic Republic and the calm of the people,” he added.
The warning came days after US President Donald Trump said Washington would intervene if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters”.
Trump further stated that the United States is “locked and loaded and ready to go”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voiced support for the protesters on Sunday, saying it was quite possible that Iranians “are taking their fate into their own hands”.
Iran is currently facing its largest wave of protests in three years. The unrest began last month in Tehran’s centuries-old Grand Bazaar, where shopkeepers shut down their businesses to protest the sharp decline of Iran’s rial currency.
Since then, demonstrations have spread across the country, fuelled by public anger over worsening economic conditions, Western sanctions, alleged mismanagement by authorities, and restrictions on political and social freedoms.
Following Ejei’s remarks, Iranian Army chief Major-General Amir Hatami also issued a strong warning, threatening pre-emptive military action over what he called hostile “rhetoric” directed at Iran.
He said Tehran would “cut off the hand of any aggressor”, asserting that Iran’s armed forces are “far greater than before the war”. “If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response,” Hatami said.
More than 30 people have been killed since the protests began, and thousands have reportedly been arrested. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll for protesters, but have said that at least two members of the security forces have been killed and more than a dozen others injured.
Meanwhile, videos of the protests continue to flood social media platforms, with some clips showing demonstrators pulling down and tearing apart flags of the Islamic Republic in different parts of the country.
--IANS
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