Iran Protests: Supreme Leader Blames Israel, US For Unrest

Facts

• In a speech on Monday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blamed the US and Israel for anti-government protests that erupted in the country in mid-September following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini while in police custody.¹
• The speech marked the first time that Khamenei had publicly acknowledged the ongoing protests, which are reportedly the biggest in years. The address saw him characterize the demonstrations as 'riots.'²
• According to Khamenei, the US and Israel are seeking to destabilize the country to prevent a strong and independent Iran. He claimed that the US's move to ease sanctions to expand internet access to protesters reveals, 'a foreign hand behind these events.'³
• The accusations come after Western leaders expressed their support for demonstrators and condemned Tehran's crackdown. During a speech at the UN General Assembly, US Pres. Biden called Iranian protestors 'brave citizens.'⁴
• Religious community members in Iran have also stated their opposition to the Supreme Leader's rule. In a statement released on Friday, a group of Iranian seminary students and teachers denounced Khamenei's rule as illegitimate, citing his numerous alleged crimes.⁵
• Nationwide demonstrations were triggered by the death of Amini, who was in police custody for allegedly violating rules that compel women to wear the hijab. An Oslo-based group called Iran Human Rights has claimed that at least 92 protesters have been killed in demonstrations as of Sunday.¹

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²BBC News, ³Axios, ⁴Ft and ⁵Iran international.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by France24. Amini's death, and the circumstances that resulted in the tragedy, have exposed how the Iranian regime treats its own citizens and pushed the country's youth to its absolute limits. Raisi has already fostered a volatile environment by failing to tackle the economic crisis and youth unemployment, and repression against women through the criminalization of notionally immodest dressing has only amplified discontent. Iranians cannot blindly comply with these orders any longer.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Tehran times. Iran's riots have nothing to do with the death of Amini but everything to do with enemies of Iran exploiting the tragic event for the purpose of creating chaos in the country - this was simply the right excuse at the right time. However, Iranians can count on its government to remain firm in its opposition to Western hegemony and Israel's Zionist regime.

Predictions