"US President Donald Trump repeated his warnings to Tehran this weekend, as protesters inside Iran mount yet another challenge to the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We are monitoring this situation very closely," Trump told reporters. "If they (the Iranian government) start killing people like they have in the past, I think they will be hit very hard by the United States.""
"According to human rights groups, at least 16 protesters have been killed, dozens injured, and a large number arrested. In one of the latest incidents, security forces reportedly attacked a central hospital in the western city of Ilam, where many injured protesters were receiving treatment. The pressure from Washington amid the escalating violence is fueling a debate inside Iran: Some argue that Trump's statements could encourage the protesters, while others warn they are also likely to be used by the regime to justify and intensify their repression."
US warnings to Tehran followed a week of protests in Iran that presented another challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime. At least 16 protesters were reported killed, dozens injured, and many arrested, and security forces reportedly attacked a central hospital in Ilam where injured protesters were treated. International pressure and threats from Washington have intensified debates within Iran about whether external warnings bolster protesters or provide pretexts for harsher repression. The experience of the 2009 Green Movement shows that Western silence emboldened the regime, while foreign threats may strengthen protesters' morale and reduce the regime's confidence to use force.
Read at www.dw.com
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