Iran Roundup for December 3rd: President Trump Speaks Out in Support of the Iranian People at London Meetings with NATO Leaders

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By Editors of The Free Iran Herald 

Now bringing you updates on the events unfolding in Iran

 

While giving a press conference at a NATO summit in London, UK, US President Donald Trump spoke about the situation in Iran, and declared his support for the protestors. “A question was asked just a little while ago about supporting the people of Iran, and they are going through a very tough period — we do support them totally, Iran is killing perhaps thousands and thousands of people right now as we speak, that it why they cut off the Internet so people can’t see what is going on, …not just small numbers which are bad, big numbers which are really bad, and really big numbers…. It is a terrible thing and the world has to be watching.” He reiterated his message of sympathy in a Tweet he wrote a few hours later.

Iranians welcome clear statements, such as this one, when they come from American officials. The messages show Iranians that there are those in other parts of the world who care about them, and don’t look the other way in the face of the Khomeinist regime’s human rights violations, as the Obama administration did, and the European Union continues to do.

Trump’s words reaffirmed those spoken on US television yesterday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Brian Hook, the Trump State Department’s special representative on Iran, had earlier spoken out to condemn the regime’s harassment and threatening of exiled Iranian journalists.

On Monday, Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran has condemned the Islamic Republic’s actions to harass and persecute Iranian journalists working abroad and their relatives living in Iran. A tweet from the State Department read: 

Also on Monday, in his column in Bloomberg, Eli Lake accurately reiterated a general position taken by many, toward the EU’s mystifying compulsion to keep the Khomeinist regime financially empowered. 

Mohammad Javad Zarif Cancels Italian Trip

Tehran’s foreign minister announced today that he would no longer be making his planned visit to Italy on the 6th and 7th of this month. Zarif had been scheduled to attend the Rome-Med 2019: Mediterranean Dialogues summit organized by the Italian government. Italian sources speculate that Zarif cancelled due to his not wanting to receive negative publicity in the wake of the protests. The Italian Federation for Human Rights had written to the Italian cabinet, demanding that the criticize the Tehran’s regime inhumane repression, and cancel Zarif’s invitation to the country.

Afghanistan Demands Justice for its Citizens Killed During the Uprising

On December 2nd, a spokesperson for the Afghan foreign ministry revealed that nine Afghan citizens living in Iran were killed by regime forces during the protests. The Afghan government is demanding an official explanation of their death from Tehran.

Khamenei Plans to Increase the Regime’s Totalitarian Apparatus

In the wake of the protests, regime leader Khamenei is planning to restructure the Basij, the paramilitary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to make it a more mobile, diffuse force, that will have a larger street presence across Iran. Khamenei wants the Basij to become more like the Komitehs – armed groups of Islamist vigilantes- of the time immediately after Khomeini assumed power in 1979. “The Islamic Revolution committees…were present in different neighborhoods and places. They were present everywhere and at all times. Whenever an incident took place, one would find the brothers in committees … This constant presence is very important,” Khamenei said.

Video Emerges of Mahshahr Massacre

Mahshahr, a port city in Khuzestan, was where some of the most brutal acts were committed by the IRGC. In this video that just reached Iranian diaspora journalists, IRGC personnel are seen killing about 100 unarmed protestors who had fled for their lives.

Finally, a new report published by Amnesty International puts the death toll of the recent protests at 208, though the real figures are likely to be much higher. 

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