Iran to take measures against foreign supporters of recent riots

Tabnak – As sporadic violence caused by protests in some Iranian cities has been eased, the Iranian government is taking steps to punish those who were responsible of initiating violent acts. At the same time, the government is tracing the role of foreign states in the recent unrests.

 According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, High Council for Human Rights in Iran's Judiciary condemned certain states and international human rights mechanisms' support for the rioters in Iran.

In a statement, released on Saturday, the High Council for Human Rights in Iran's Judiciary referred to certain states and international human rights 'mechanisms' support for rioters and described such support as interference in Iran's internal affairs.

The Islamic Republic is committed to defend the people's right to hold peaceful gathering and also to protect the security of its civilians against violent actions, it said.

Referring to the US, UK, the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia, Daesh (ISIS), Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and the international human rights mechanisms' support for rioters, the Council said that “the recent incident was another test for claimants of human rights.”

The claimants of human rights are siding with those who are promoting violence in the social networks, the Council noted while referring to certain world states and organizations' claims against recent limitations imposed on social media after unrests.

Meanwhile, Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said that the country's security forces will soon give a “crushing response” to terrorists and groups hostile to the Islamic Republic operating in the region.

Iranian youth will thwart enemies’ vicious plots through their acts of bravery, Alavi said in the northwestern city of Urmia in West Azarbaijan province on Saturday.

He added that the Iranian security forces would not allow enemies to undermine the country's security. The minister promised that terrorist groups would fail to weaken the Iranian people's determination.

In this vein, Lorestan province’s intelligence office said on Friday that Iran’s security forces had disbanded a local cell of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group which had carried out acts of sabotage during the protests.

It added that four members of the terrorist cell had been arrested through intelligence operations and one of them had been injured in clashes.

However, it seems that among the foreign supporters of recent unrests in Iran, at least the United States is determined to continue its anti-Iranian approach. According to CNN, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Trump administration supports the aspirations of Iranian protesters, including calls for a "peaceful transition of government."

On December 28, a number of protests over economic problems broke out in several Iranian cities, but the gatherings turned violent when groups of participants, some of them armed, vandalized public property and launched attacks on police stations and government buildings.