Iran foreign minister claims protest unrest has come under total control'

"Iran's foreign minister has claimed the situation in the country has come under total control as authorities carry out a brutal crackdown against the nationwide protest movement. Abbas Araghchi made the comments to foreign diplomats in Tehran, without supplying evidence. The few messages and videos to have emerged from Iran overnight showed that protests were continuing, but an ongoing internet blackout made it difficult to judge whether the authorities' use of violence had been effective in blunting the movement's momentum."

"The protests, now in their 16th day, started when traders in Tehran took to the streets to protest over a sudden depreciation in the national currency. They have expanded into nationwide demonstrations with protesters calling for the fall of the Iranian regime triggering a heavy-handed response by authorities. Iran has beat back previous rounds of mass unrest through the use of force, notably in 2009 and 2019."

Protests began when traders in Tehran demonstrated against a sudden depreciation of the national currency and have expanded into nationwide calls for the fall of the Iranian regime. Authorities have launched a brutal, heavy-handed crackdown, including likely lethal force, while implementing an internet blackout that obscures the scale and effectiveness of the response. The foreign minister asserted that the situation is under total control and blamed Western powers for turning peaceful protests violent, alleging US and Israeli backing for destabilisation. State media broadcast large pro-government rallies with chants against America. International condemnation has risen in response to the government's actions.

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