WELLINGTON: New Zealand said Friday it has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and flown out its diplomats because of worsening security in Iran. Diplomatic staff left Iran safely on commercial flights overnight, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said. The Tehran embassy&#39;s operations were moved to Ankara, Turkey, because of the &quot;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-ambassador-says-recent-unrest-was-foreignbacked-terrorism-not-protest" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">deteriorating security situation</a>&quot; in Iran. &quot;We continue to&nbsp;advise&nbsp;against all travel to Iran. Any New Zealanders currently in the country should leave now,&quot; the spokesperson said. &lsquo;Extremely limited&rsquo;The foreign ministry said it had an &quot;extremely limited&quot; ability to give consular help to New Zealanders in Iran. Severe communication challenges were making it hard for people to get in touch with family and friends in Iran, the ministry spokesperson said, advising New Zealanders there to contact relatives when they can. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday his country was &quot;appalled&quot; by Tehran&#39;s &ldquo;violent reaction&rdquo; to huge anti-government protests. &#39;Right to peaceful protest&#39;&quot;We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran&#39;s security forces, including the killing of protesters,&quot; Peters said in a statement. &quot;Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information -- and that right is currently being brutally repressed,&quot; he said. New Zealand had expressed its &quot;serious concerns&quot; directly to the Iranian embassy in Wellington, and would continue to do so, the minister said.

Middle East

Diplomatic staff leaves Iran safely on commercial flights overnight, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said; the Tehran embassy's operations were moved to Ankara, Turkey, because of the 'deteriorating security situation' in Iran.

New Zealand shuts embassy in Iran

HONG KONG: Oil slid Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on Iran, while Asian markets were mixed after Wall Street edged lower the previous day. Oil prices dropped three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would &quot;watch it and see&quot; on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped. Crude prices had surged over recent days as Trump talked about coming to the aid of the Iranian people over the crackdown on demonstrations, sparking concerns over possible disruption to global supplies. Extreme volatilitySilver plunged as much as seven percent after hitting a record high above $93.75 an ounce, after Trump held off slapping tariffs on critical minerals. Gold also dipped. &quot;The swings in commodities highlight the extreme volatility being fed by President Trump&#39;s mercurial policy style,&quot; said Garfield Reynolds, Markets Live Asia Team Leader at Bloomberg. But &quot;so far the declines for raw materials are still too small to seriously dent this year&#39;s substantial rallies&quot;, he said. &quot;There&#39;s plenty of potential that investors will be itching to pile back into commodities assets given how often they&#39;ve bounced back to fresh highs following occasional corrections in recent weeks,&quot; Reynolds added. Tokyo was down 0.4 percent at the close, cooling off after gains fueled by speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would call an election to capitalize on strong public approval ratings. Takaichi&#39;s ruling party and a coalition partner said Wednesday she intends to dissolve parliament next week for a snap election, seen as a chance to push through her ambitious policy agenda. Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Singapore posted gains, while Wellington, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur were down. Shanghai and Hong Kong closed 0.3 percent down and Taipei ended 0.4 percent lower. After the closing bell, Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC said net profit for the fourth quarter jumped 35 percent year-on-year, beating forecasts as demand for artificial intelligence skyrockets. London opened on a 0.1 percent high as official data showed Britain&#39;s economy grew more than expected in November. South Korean won slides&nbsp;Traders were also watching South Korea -- with Seoul up 1.5 percent -- as the won&#39;s exchange rate slid towards its weakest level in 16 years. In a rare mention, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the won&#39;s depreciation was &quot;not in line with Korea&#39;s strong economic fundamentals&quot; and that volatility in the foreign exchange market is &quot;undesirable&quot;. The won gained as much as one percent after Bessent&#39;s comments, which he posted on social media after meeting Seoul&#39;s finance minister Koo Yun-cheol in Washington. &quot;Bessent&#39;s comments can support the won in the near term, but markets may have more influence if they feel the fundamentals and politics are still in a worsening trajectory,&quot; said Brendan McKenna, a strategist at Wells Fargo in New York. The mixed picture in Asia came after Wall Street stocks fell again Wednesday as investors shrugged off solid bank earnings and an increase in retail sales in November. Analysts noted investor unease about possible US interventions in Iran and Greenland, and Trump&#39;s threats to Federal Reserve autonomy, most recently in the Department of Justice&#39;s criminal probe of the central bank. Key figures at around 0800 GMT&nbsp;Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4% at 54,110.50 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3% at 26,924.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3% at 4,112.60 (close) West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.4% at $59.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.4% at $64.23 per barrel Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1630 from $1.1647 on Wednesday Pound/dollar: FLAT at $1.3433 Dollar/yen: FLAT at 158.56 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.58 pence from 86.68 pence New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1% at 49,149.63 points (close) London - UP 0.1% at 10,197.73

Business

Oil prices drop three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would ‘watch it and see’ on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped.

Oil plunges after Trump's Iran comments, Asian markets mixed

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s alarm over reports of a possible imminent attack on Iran became more evident on Thursday as its foreign ministry urged its citizens to leave the country, which has been facing deadly unrest. The ministry&nbsp;estimates there are around 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran. &ldquo;Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport,&rdquo; the Indian embassy in Tehran said in a social media post late Wednesday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011451773844873562&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9f67c598ad1b75bb439625bfaa2d91de7bf185f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 729px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> India&rsquo;s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wrote on X on Wednesday that he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart. &quot;Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. @araghchi We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran,&rdquo; he wrote. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011455678175740313&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9f67c598ad1b75bb439625bfaa2d91de7bf185f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 297px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Earlier, on Jan. 5, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs, shared a travel advisory for Iran. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2008179279377711573&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9f67c598ad1b75bb439625bfaa2d91de7bf185f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 803px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The developments come amid reports that a US military strike on Iran could be imminent.&nbsp; A Western military official told The New York Times that the Trump administration is weighing a range of options, including cyberattacks and strikes on Iranian government facilities. Multiple US media reports suggest Washington is actively reviewing possible intervention measures.&nbsp; The Washington Post, citing a former US official familiar with the planning, reported that at least two European allies were asked this week to share intelligence with the United States on potential target sites inside Iran. Trading with Iran&nbsp; Meanwhile,&nbsp;Congress MP and Chairman of India&rsquo;s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, has expressed serious concern over US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s decision to impose a 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran, Indian media reported on Thursday. He warned that the measure could make Indian exports to the United States unviable. Tharoor noted that India was already facing higher tariffs than regional competitors, and that the existing 25% US tariff, combined with penalties linked to Russia and Iran, could raise the total to 75%. Tharoor highlighted that countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh enjoy lower tariffs of 15&ndash;19% on labor-intensive exports such as gems, jewelry, marine products, and leather, putting India at a disadvantage in global trade.

India

India’s concern over reports of a possible imminent attack on Iran became evident as it urged its citizens to leave the country.

India fears attack on Iran, urges citizens to return

PARIS: US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday of unspecified &quot;very strong action&quot; if Iranian authorities go ahead with threatened hangings of some protesters, with Tehran calling American warnings a &quot;pretext for military intervention.&quot; International outrage has built over the crackdown that a rights group said has likely &quot;killed thousands&quot; during protests, posing one of the biggest challenges yet to Iran&#39;s clerical leadership. Iran&#39;s UN mission posted a statement on X, vowing that Washington&#39;s &quot;playbook&quot; would &quot;fail again.&quot; &quot;US fantasies and policy toward Iran are rooted in regime change, with sanctions, threats, engineered unrest, and chaos serving as the modus operandi to manufacture a pretext for military intervention,&quot; the post said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011210880613302537&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=8ed77d2d00081bb47726d566733c5b6575426bfd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Iranian authorities have insisted they had regained control of the country after successive nights of mass protests nationwide since Thursday. Rights groups accuse the government of fatally shooting protesters and masking the scale of the crackdown with an internet blackout that has now surpassed the five-day mark. &#39;Help is on its way&#39; Trump -- who earlier told the protesters in Iran that &quot;help is on its way&quot; -- told CBS News that the United States would act if Iran began hanging protesters. Tehran prosecutors said Iranian authorities would press capital charges of &quot;moharebeh,&quot; or &quot;waging war against God,&quot; against some suspects arrested over recent demonstrations. &quot;We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,&quot; said the American leader, who has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention. &quot;When they start killing thousands of people -- and now you&#39;re telling me about hanging. We&#39;ll see how that&#39;s going to work out for them,&quot; Trump said. New videos on social media, with locations verified by AFP, showed bodies lined up in the Kahrizak morgue just south of the Iranian capital, with the corpses wrapped in black bags and distraught relatives searching for loved ones. International phone links were restored on Tuesday, but only for outgoing calls, according to an AFP journalist, and the quality remained spotty, with frequent interruptions. &#39;KEEP PROTESTING&#39; Earlier Tuesday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, urging Iranians to &quot;KEEP PROTESTING&quot;, adding: &quot;I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.&quot; It was not immediately clear what meetings he was referring to or what the nature of the help would be. &#39;Rising casualties&#39;&nbsp;European nations also signalled their anger over the crackdown, with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom among the countries that summoned their Iranian ambassadors, as did the European Union. &quot;The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying,&quot; said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, vowing further sanctions against those responsible. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it had confirmed 734 people killed during the protests, including nine minors, but warned the death toll was likely far higher. &quot;The figures we publish are based on information received from fewer than half of the country&#39;s provinces and fewer than 10 percent of Iran&#39;s hospitals. The real number of those killed is likely in the thousands,&quot; IHR&#39;s director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said. IHR highlighted the case of Erfan Soltani, 26, who was arrested last week in the Tehran satellite city of Karaj and who, according to a family source, has already been sentenced to death and is due to be executed as early as Wednesday. Iranian security personnel killed&nbsp; Iranian state media has said dozens of members of the security forces have been killed, with their funerals turning into large pro-government rallies. Authorities in Tehran have announced a mass funeral ceremony in the capital on Wednesday for the &quot;martyrs&quot; of recent days. Amir, an Iraqi computer scientist, returned to Baghdad on Monday and described dramatic scenes in Tehran. &quot;On Thursday night, my friends and I saw protesters in Tehran&#39;s Sarsabz neighbourhood amid a heavy military presence. The police were firing rubber bullets,&quot; he told AFP in Iraq. &#39;Warning&#39; to the US The government on Monday sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed as proof that the protest movement was defeated, calling them a &quot;warning&quot; to the United States. In power since 1989 and now aged 86, Khamenei has faced significant challenges, most recently the 12-day war in June against Israel, which resulted in the killing of top security officials. &quot;These protests arguably represent the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic in years, both in scale and in their increasingly explicit political demands,&quot; Nicole Grajewski, professor at the Sciences Po Centre for International Studies in Paris, told AFP. She said it was unclear if the protests would unseat the leadership.

Iran's UN mission in a post on X says, 'US fantasies and policy toward Iran are rooted in regime change, with sanctions, threats, engineered unrest, and chaos serving as the modus operandi to manufacture a pretext for military intervention.' 

Trump warns of 'very strong action' if Iran hangs protesters

Pakistan TV

ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik said Islamabad was ready and willing to play a constructive role in defusing tensions between Iran and the United States, stressing that Pakistan does not seek instability in the region and will make every possible effort to help lower tensions. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, Dr. Musadik Malik said Pakistan enjoyed strong relations with both Iran and the United States and believed dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path to preventing further escalation in the region. He said, &quot;The growing instability is being fueled by Israel&rsquo;s continued actions across Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.&quot; &quot;This is a vulgar display of atrocities,&quot; he said. He said Israel committed the genocide in Gaza. Malik questioned Israel&rsquo;s right to occupy land, seize water resources and carry out repeated military aggression across the region. He warned that such actions carry serious repercussions. The minister emphasized that Pakistan wants peace and stability across the Middle East and South Asia, adding that unchecked unilateral actions weaken the global rule-based order and threaten international peace. He said no country had the right to kill civilians, including women and children, under any pretext. Turning to South Asia, Malik strongly criticized India&rsquo;s approach to the Indus Waters Treaty, calling any attempt to control or delay Pakistan&rsquo;s water supply illegal and irrational. He said the Indus river system was the backbone of Pakistan&rsquo;s economy and livelihoods, supporting nearly half of the population and a significant share of the country&rsquo;s GDP. Malik warned that any effort by India to disrupt water flows, particularly during critical agricultural seasons, would be viewed as an act of war and met with a commensurate response. He said India was attempting to manipulate water flows through a cascade of hydropower projects in violation of the treaty. He also questioned India&rsquo;s reluctance to approach international arbitration mechanisms, saying that refusal to engage neutral forums suggests the wrongdoing. Addressing regional security concerns, Malik said Pakistan would continue to combat terrorism and urged Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to attack Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades and expects Kabul to act as a responsible neighbour. Malik concluded by warning that weakening multilateralism and international treaties could push the world toward greater instability, calling for renewed commitment to diplomacy, dialogue and international law.

Beyond Borders

Minister For Climate Change Talks Exclusively to Pakistan TV

Malik Says Pakistan Ready to Help Defuse Iran–US Tensions

ISLAMABAD: Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that no country would tolerate terrorist violence against its civilians and armed forces, stressing that Tehran is prepared both for conflict and negotiations, provided talks are fair and not imposed, state-run Press TV reported.&nbsp;Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, Araghchi condemned what he described as US- and Israeli-backed terrorist violence that erupted after peaceful economic protests in late December. He stated that the initial demonstrations were legitimate and constitutionally protected, and that government engagement and reforms had helped alleviate tensions.&nbsp;However, from Jan. 8 onwards, he said armed groups entered the unrest, distributing weapons and attempting to provoke mass casualties. Iranian security forces, he added, responded with restraint while seeking to prevent violence.&nbsp;Araghchi accused Washington and Israel of interference, citing what he said was evidence of foreign involvement, including claims of Mossad-linked operatives active inside Iran. He also criticized former US president Donald Trump&rsquo;s remarks on possible US intervention, calling them &ldquo;outright interference.&rdquo;&nbsp;The foreign minister said Western governments were wrongly condemning Iranian law enforcement while ignoring what he termed terrorism, accusing them of &ldquo;shedding crocodile tears&rdquo; and applying double standards.&nbsp;More than 70% of Iranians support firm action against violent rioters, he said, adding that while peaceful protest is a right, no state tolerates arson, terrorism, or live fire against civilians and security forces.&nbsp;Referring to recent unrest as a continuation of earlier conflict, Araghchi warned adversaries against miscalculation. &ldquo;Iran does not seek war, but is ready for it,&rdquo; he said, adding that the country&rsquo;s readiness now exceeds levels seen during the June fighting.&nbsp;At the same time, he said Tehran remains open to negotiations &mdash; but only on equal footing and without pressure.&nbsp;Trump threatens Iran, again The statement comes hours after the US President Donald Trump threatened to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-want-to-negotiate-and-meeting-being-set-up" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">intervene militarily</a> if Tehran killed protesters.&nbsp;For two weeks, Iran has been rocked by a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/fresh-protests-in-iran-as-internet-blackout-persists" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">protest movement</a> that has swelled despite a crackdown.&nbsp;Initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, the demonstrations have evolved into a serious challenge to the Iranian government.&nbsp;Information has continued to trickle out of Iran despite a days-long internet shutdown, with videos filtering out of the capital, Tehran, and other cities over the past three nights showing large demonstrations.&nbsp;&quot;The leaders of Iran called yesterday,&quot; Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that &ldquo;a meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate.&quot;&nbsp;He added, however, that &quot;we may have to act before a meeting.&quot;

Says armed groups entered the unrest, distributing weapons and attempting to provoke mass casualties; Iranian security forces showed restraint.

Iran ready for war and talks, but rejects diktats, says FM Araghchi

ISLAMABAD: Iranians from all walks of life have begun nationwide rallies to denounce recent foreign-backed riots, demonstrating their support for the Islamic Republic, state-run Press TV reported on Monday. The rallies in most provinces, including Tehran, will begin on Monday at 2 p.m. local time. However, some other provinces have started the rallies at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. &lsquo;Proof of unity &lsquo;Several officials described the nationwide demonstrations as &ldquo;proof of unity&rdquo;, which secures the nation&rsquo;s resilience. While stating that some shopkeepers last week staged limited street protests in several Iranian cities over economic instability, the state media report said that the demonstrations were steered toward violence after public statements by US and Israeli figures, amplified by Israeli-linked Persian-language outlets, encouraged vandalism and disorder. The report said that the authorities have acknowledged the legitimacy of peaceful economic grievances and vowed to address them. &lsquo;Will not back down against vandals&rsquo;The report blamed &ldquo;foreign-backed elements&rdquo; for exploiting concerns over rising living costs and the depreciation of the national currency, which it said is directly linked to unilateral US sanctions targeting Iran&rsquo;s central bank and oil exports. The Iranian authorities have declared that perpetrators of the latest unrest are &ldquo;backed by the United States and the Israeli regime&rdquo;. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced support for protesters and warned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-iran-want-to-negotiate-and-meeting-being-set-up" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Washington could attack Iran</a>&nbsp;if what he called &ldquo;peaceful protesters&rdquo; were harmed, while former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has issued statements alluding to Mossad involvement and separatist plots, Press TV reported. The rallies came as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Friday that the state &ldquo;will not back down against vandals,&rdquo; urging unity and reiterating that a united nation can overcome any enemy.&nbsp; &lsquo;Legitimate targets&rsquo;Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian insisted in televised comments that &ldquo;the number of protests is decreasing&rdquo;, AFP reported. The Iranian government on Sunday declared three days of national mourning for &ldquo;martyrs&rdquo; including members of the security forces killed. President Masoud Pezeshkian also urged Iranians to join a &ldquo;national resistance march&rdquo; Monday to denounce the violence. In response to Trump&#39;s repeated threats to intervene, Iran&#39;s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would hit back, calling US military and shipping &ldquo;legitimate targets&rdquo; in comments broadcast by state TV.

While stating that some shopkeepers last week staged limited street protests in several Iranian cities over economic instability, a state media report says the demonstrations were steered toward violence after public statements by US and Israeli figures.

Iranians begin nationwide rallies to condemn ‘foreign-backed riots': State media

PARIS: Anti-government chants filled the streets of Iran&#39;s capital on Saturday night, as protesters pressed the biggest movement against the Islamic Republic in more than three years despite a crackdown under the cover of an internet blackout. Iran has blamed the United States for the demonstrations, which ignited in Tehran two weeks ago over economic hardship and have since spread nationwide with calls for ousting the clerical authorities. US &lsquo;ready to help&rsquo;Rights groups have reported dozens of deaths and expressed alarm on Saturday that authorities were intensifying the crackdown. Little information is filtering out after an internet shutdown, with monitor NetBlocks showing virtually no connectivity since Thursday. US President Donald Trump said his country was &quot;ready to help&quot; the movement, after warning Iran was in &quot;big trouble&quot; over its efforts to suppress the protests. &quot;Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!&quot; Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday. Possible military strikes&nbsp;According to the New York Times, Trump was recently briefed on options for possible military strikes. US officials, speaking to the Times anonymously, said Trump has not yet made a final decision about another intervention, after Washington joined Israel&#39;s 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June. Crowds gathered again on Saturday in the north of the Iranian capital, setting off fireworks and banging pots as they shouted slogans in support of the ousted monarchy, according to video verified by AFP. Other videos, that AFP could not immediately verify, showed demonstrations in other parts of the capital where protesters shouted anti-government slogans. Shah&rsquo;s son calls for targeted protests&nbsp;Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran&#39;s deposed shah, urged Iranians to stage more targeted protests over the weekend. &quot;Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers,&quot; Pahlavi said in a video on social media. The demonstrations have posed one of the biggest challenges to the theocratic authorities who have ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. &lsquo;Vandals&rsquo; doing Trump&rsquo;s bidding&nbsp;After initially calling for &quot;restraint&quot; and acknowledging economic grievances, they have since hardened their stance. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a defiant speech on Friday, lashed out at &quot;vandals&quot; doing Trump&#39;s bidding. Amnesty International said it was analysing &quot;distressing reports that security forces have intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters&quot; since Thursday. Norway-based Iran Human Rights group has said at least 51 people have been killed in the crackdown so far, warning the actual toll could be higher. It posted images it said were of bodies of people shot dead in the protests on the floor of Alghadir hospital in eastern Tehran. &quot;These images provide further evidence of the excessive and lethal use of force against protesters,&quot; IHR said. Other images disseminated on social media and by Persian-language television channels outside Iran showed similarly large protests elsewhere in the capital, as well as in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north, and the holy city of Qom. In the western city of Hamedan, a man was shown waving a Shah-era Iranian flag featuring the lion and the sun. Iranian embassy in London&nbsp;The same flag briefly flew over the country&#39;s embassy in London after protesters reached the building&#39;s balcony, witnesses told AFP. On Thursday and Friday, an AFP journalist in Tehran saw streets deserted and plunged into darkness. &quot;The area is not safe,&quot; said a cafe manager as he prepared to close the shop around 4:00 pm. &lsquo;Enemy seeking to disrupt order&rsquo;&nbsp;Authorities say several members of the security forces have been killed, and state television aired images on Saturday of funerals for several members of the security forces killed in the protests, including a large gathering in the southern city of Shiraz. It also aired images of buildings, including a mosque, on fire. Iran&#39;s army said in a statement that it would &quot;vigorously protect and safeguard national interests&quot; against an &quot;enemy seeking to disrupt order and peace&quot;. Global leaders have urged restraint from Iranian authorities, with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen saying Europe backed Iranians&#39; mass protests and condemned the &ldquo;violent repression&rdquo; against the demonstrators.&nbsp;

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a speech on Friday, lashed out at ‘vandals’ doing Trump's bidding; Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's deposed shah, urged Iranians to stage more targeted protests over the weekend.

Articles tagged with "Protests in Iran"