Trump-Netanyahu and the EU incited Iranian protesters: President Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and European officials have “incited” the recent protests that have swept the country.
Pezeshkian claimed they had "incited" several innocent individuals to join the movement with guns and take to the streets in a televised speech on Saturday. According to a report by Iran's state-run Student News Network, they were encouraged to split the nation and promote discord and enmity among the populace.
"No one takes up a gun in any normal protest," the Iranian president continued. They don’t kill the military. Markets and ambulances are not set on fire by them. We ought to take a seat among the demonstrators. Pay attention to what they have to say and respond to their worries. We are prepared to hear you out.
"Everyone knows that this was not just a social movement," stated Pezeshkian. Foreign nations "provoked us," "took advantage of our problems," and "tried to divide our society."
Iranian authorities have recognized that thousands of people have been killed in recent protests, placing the death toll at more than 3,000. However, they claim that the majority of those slain were either pedestrians killed by "rioters" or security personnel.
Human rights organizations with headquarters in the West claim that the death toll is probably far higher.
Due to the fatal crackdown on rallies earlier this month, Trump has been threatening military action against Iran for weeks. Tehran has often claimed the rallies were sponsored by foreign interests.
Trump has vowed to attack Iran "if necessary," and a US warship has been in the Middle East since Monday.
Iran is prepared to engage in negotiations with the United States "on a fair and equal basis," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared on Friday. "Iran has no problem with talks, but there can be no talks under threat," he continued.
At a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Araghchi stated, "I want to make it clear that Iran's defense and missile capabilities will never be a subject of discussion."
Separately, in response to the protests, the US imposed penalties on Iran's interior minister and other officials on Friday.
According to a statement from the US Treasury Department, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni "oversees the Islamic Republic of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), whose members are responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters."
Babak Morteza Zanjani, an Iranian investor accused of "embezzling billions of dollars from the Iranian people," and several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel are among those subject to sanctions.
Additionally, the US Treasury Department has placed sanctions for the first time on Iran-affiliated digital currency exchanges that have "transacted significant amounts of money for IRGC-affiliated parties."