Cartoon by Marian Kamensky

Iran's Rouhani claims victory over unrest and blames foreigners

Reuters: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday claimed victory over unrest Tehran has blamed on foreign foes after protests over fuel price rises shook the nation, and the government dismissed reports of more than 100 deaths as “speculative”.

Thousands joined pro-government demonstrations on Wednesday, state media reported, with television footage showing rallies in Rasht, Gorgan and Ardabil in the north, Hamadan in the west, and Shahryar, south of the capital Tehran.

Iranian dual nationals were among protesters arrested in the northern province of Alborz, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Quoting security sources, it said detained German, Turkish and Afghan dual nationals had been trained and funded by foreign services to take actions to destroy infrastructure and stir up civil disobedience.

These dual nationals had special equipment to be used for sabotage, it added without providing evidence or further detail.

“The Iranian people have again succeeded in an historic test and shown they will not let enemies benefit from the situation, even though they might have complaints about the country’s management,” Rouhani said in remarks carried by state broadcaster IRIB on its website.

“The spontaneous (pro-government) demonstrations which you see are the greatest sign of the power of the Iranian people.” >>>