Washington, DC [US], January 10 (ANI): Protests in Iran entered their thirteenth day on Friday, evolving from demonstrations over rising living costs into a nationwide movement calling for an end to the Islamic Republic, which has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced support for the protesters, saying in a post on X, “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”
Rubio’s remarks followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who said Washington was closely monitoring the situation in Iran and expressed hope for the safety of protesters. Trump warned that the United States would intervene if protesters were killed, saying it would respond by striking “where it hurts.”
“Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We’re watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts, so we don’t want that to happen,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is living in exile, on Saturday called on workers in key economic sectors to go on strike and urged demonstrators to move toward occupying central areas of Tehran. Pahlavi voiced support for protesters nationwide and praised continued demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling establishment.
“I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors—especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy—to begin the process of nationwide strikes,” Pahlavi said. He also urged people to take to the streets over the weekend, calling for the occupation and holding of city centers.
“Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centers,” he said, urging demonstrators to converge from multiple routes and remain in public spaces with necessary provisions.
In an earlier joint statement, the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, and the European Union praised the bravery of Iranian citizens and condemned reports of a crackdown by the authorities.
“We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protesters, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people,” the statement said.
The nations called on the Iranian government to end the use of force against protesters and to uphold the right to freedom of expression. (ANI)
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