Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Iranwire – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the mass human rights abuses being committed by the Iranian authorities during their ongoing crackdown on nationwide protests will have consequences for the Islamic Republic.
Blinken made the comments at a press conference on December 22, after the United States impose a new round of sanctions against the Iranian clerical regime over its bloody clampdown of demonstrations that have swept the country for more than three months.
“We remain gravely concerned about Iranian authorities firing on peaceful protestors, notably on women, on children. We’ve seen mass arrests. We’ve seen sham trials. We’ve seen executions. We’ve seen [the] use of sexual violence as a tool for protest suppression,” Blinken told reporters, according to a transcript released by the State Deparetment.
“Not only us, the eyes of the world have seen this. And these human rights abuses are not going and will not go without consequence.”
Iran has been rocked by protests since the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the morality police. The protests have since morphed into one of the most serious challenges to the theocracy installed by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Security forces have violently cracked down on the demonstrations, killing at least 469 people, including 63 children, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group.
At least 18,000 others have been detained. Dozens have been handed capital punishment or are facing charges that carry a death sentence. Iran carried out the first two executions earlier this month, triggering international condemnation.
The European Union, the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities for their roles in the crackdown.
On December 22, Washington imposed sanctions on Iran’s Attorney-General Mohammad Montazeri, four military and paramilitary officials, and a company that manufactures anti-riot equipment. The sanctions freeze any assets that those targeted may have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing business with them.
The United States and its Western allies have also imposed sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities believed to be involved in the supply of Iranian drones to Russia, which has used the aircraft to target Ukrainian power stations and civilian infrastructure.
Iran has admitted supplying Moscow with drones but said they were sent before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
“We’re intensely focused on the fact that Iran has provided UAVs to Russia to prosecute its aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said.
“These Iranian drones are what is being used, among other things, to try to turn off the lights, turn off the heat, turn off the water for Ukrainians as they head into winter. And we’re putting a spotlight on that and, again, trying to take actions wherever we can to disrupt that, including sanctioning the various UAV networks that Iran is engaged in.”
