Friday , 29 March 2024

Iran protests latest: Protestors attacked with TEAR GAS as Iran REFUSES to talk with Trump

Express – VIOLENCE broke out across Iran last night after protesters were attacked with tear gas by security forces during strikes over high prices, power outages and water shortages as the regime refused to enter talks with US President Donald Trump.

As night settled in Iran yesterday, protests that began on Tuesday afternoon continued across the impoverished country – with shopkeepers, market vendors, farmers and truck drivers taking to the streets in protest about worsening conditions.

Dozens of store owners in the area have closed their shops and are on strike after the rial’s value dropped by 120 percent in the last six months alone.

Iran has also been hit by falling salaries set against the rising cost of living, while water shortages and power outages have also hit the embattled country.

Videos obtained from the protests show protesters are not afraid of the regime’s repressive forces and are confronting them despite heavy security presence.

Protesters chant the game is over for both factions of the regime, both the “reformists” and the “hardliners”.

In Karaj, protests took a dramatic turn last night as demonstrators clashed with security forces, chanting anti-regime slogans.

In one clip, young protesters are seen being crippled with tear gas as the mostly peaceful protests took a violent and dark twist – with protestors later setting tires on fire.

In another video, demonstrators can be heard chanting “down with Khamenei” and “Our enemy is here, they are lying when they say it is the US”.

A separate video also shows as the protesters chant: “Guns, tanks, are no longer effective, mullahs should get lost.”

Iran news: Protest break out - tyres set on fire

Iran news: Protest break out as tyres set on fire (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

In Shiraz, security forces have also started targeting protesters with tear gas.

According to local reports, a young boy who had attended the protest along with his mother was injured amid the heavy handed crackdown.

And in Isfahan, the crowd were chanting: “Death to high prices, death to unemployment,” “death to the dictator,” “dignified Shapouris, support us, support us,” “dignified Iranians, support us, support us,” and “incompetent officials, resign, resign.”

Others were heard saying “any Iranian who remains silent is committing treason” as they called on their compatriots to support them in their cause.

Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, saluted the “brave people” of Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz following the protests this week.

Iran news: Tyres were set on fire

Iran news: Tyres were set on fire after protestors were hit by tear gas (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

Iran news: Protest gathers in the street

Iran news: Protest gathers in the street in response to high prices (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

The Iranian people’s nationwide uprising is growing by the day. Hail to the peoples of Isfahan, Gohardasht of Karaj, and Shiraz.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance

In a comment provided to Express.co.uk, she said the source of all the miseries of the Iranian nation is the religious dictatorship, which has wasted the wealth and human resources of our homeland.

The statement continued: “Now, the world is witnessing that despite the massive repression by the religious fascism, the Iranian people’s uprising is constantly on the rise.

“It has cornered the absolute rule of the clergy and heralds the arrival of the spring of freedom to our captive country.”

She also tweeted: “The Iranian people’s nationwide uprising is growing by the day. Hail to the peoples of Isfahan, Gohardasht of Karaj, and Shiraz.

“The time has come for rising up. The persistence of your uprising has beset the mullahs’ religious dictatorship.

“Today, the world can see that the voice of Iranians cannot be silenced despite massive repression, and their uprisings are carrying on until victory.

“These are the blazing flames of a resistance with over 100,000 martyrs, flaring up in the streets after forty years.”

Iran news: Protesters flee after tear gas attack

Iran news: Protesters flee after tear gas attack (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

The dramatic protests come after senior Iranian officials and military commanders rejected US President Donald Trump’s offer of talks.

Military officials slammed the proposals as “worthless” and “a dream”, saying Mr Trump’s words contradict his actions of reimposing sanctions on Tehran.

Iran’s foreign minister said that Washington should blame itself for ending talks with Tehran when it withdrew from the nuclear deal.

“US can only blame itself for pulling out and leaving the table…Threats, sanctions and PR stunts won’t work,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.

Iranian people protest in Shiraz against poverty and expenses

While President Rouhani condemned Mr Trump’s repudiation of an international nuclear deal reached in 2015 as “illegal”.

He added Iran would not easily yield to Washington’s renewed campaign to strangle Iran’s vital oil exports.

President Trump pulled the United States out of the multilateral deal , which was concluded by the Obama administration, in May.

The former businessman denounced the agreement as one-sided in Iran’s favour.

But on Monday, he said he would be willing to meet Rouhani without preconditions to discuss how to improve relations.

Iran news: Protests turned violent - fire

Iran news: Security forces have also started targeting protesters with tear gas (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Shahin Gobadi of the Foreign affairs Committee of the NCRI said the continuation and frequency of protests have one clear message.

He told Express.co.uk: “The Iranian people are determined to bring about a regime change and they are not going to stop at anything short of that. The prospect for the mullahs to find a way out is becoming dimmer by the day.

“This is why the regime’s senior officials keep warning about the bleak prospects that loom on the horizon for the regime and the growing role of the resistance.

“As such, the regime’s official in charge of dealing with “soft warfare” stated on August 1, that 90 percent of the strikes and calls for protests are the result of activities of the “counter-revolutionaries”, ie the Iranian resistance.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/997425/Iran-news-protests-latest-tear-gas-Trump-news-nuclear-deal-sanctions-Hassan-Rouhani#t=1s

Iran protests

Iran protests: Thousands have flocked to the streets (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

Iran protests: Fire in the road

Iran protests: In Karaj, protests took a dramatic turn last night (Image: PMOI – NCRI)

Last month, thousands of Iranians flocked to Paris for the 10th annual Free Iran rally – with speakers such as Trump’s close allies newt Gingrich and Rudy Guiliani speaking in favour of freeing Tehran from the “murderous” Reouhani regime.

Mr Gobadi added: “It is time for the European countries to see the fast-moving realities in Iran and forgo any deals with the Iranian regime.

“Rather they should hold the clerical regime accountable for all its malign activities and side with the Iranian people and their aspirations.

“We would welcome any serious and tangible retreat by the mullahs because that would ultimately serve the interests of the Iranian people and the resistance units to bring down the regime and to establish democracy.

“But as the regime’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has said time and again the regime is incapable of any major change of policies and change of direction.

“He said explicitly on May 10, 2017, that so far as the regime is concerned a change of conduct and behavior is tantamount to a change of the regime in its entirety.

 

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