Dozens of other people are said to have been injured in the Shia shrine of Shah Cheragh in the metropolis, state television reported on Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, there was a large contingent of police and security forces around the shrine.
The terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack on a Telegram channel. In Afghanistan, for example, Sunni jihadists repeatedly attack Shia Muslims whom they describe as apostates from Islam and despise them. Such attacks are very unusual in Iran. President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the attack and announced a consistent response, according to the president’s office.
Mass protests 40 days after Mahsa Amini .’s death
Apparently the attack had nothing to do with the mass protests in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. Also on Wednesday – 40 days after her death – countless people took to the streets across the country. In Iran, people traditionally mourn the death of a family member for 40 days. Activists had previously called for nationwide protests on the day of mourning.
Security forces are said to have fired on protesters in several cities. In the capital Tehran, security forces used tear gas against a demonstration by doctors. Towards evening people also gathered in Tehran to sing exuberantly in the streets. In the north of the metropolis, many women were seen without the mandatory headscarf, eyewitnesses reported.
The moral police arrested Mahsa Amini for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code. The woman died on September 16 in police custody. Since her death, thousands across the country have demonstrated against the government’s repressive course and Islamic rule system.
US fears Russian aid to crush protests
Meanwhile, the United States expressed concern over possible support for Moscow in cracking down on mass protests in Iran. “We know they may be considering some sort of support for Iran’s ability to take action against protesters, and unfortunately Russia has experience with that,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington on Wednesday. At the request of journalists, it remained somewhat unclear whether this alleged support had already started or not.
Israeli head of state Izchak Herzog once again criticized Iran with sharp words. “Today, the Iranian regime is oppressing thousands of Iranian citizens, men, young men and women, who are demonstrating and simply standing up for their own freedoms,” Herzog said during a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday. Herzog warned of Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. The country also supplies deadly weapons used to kill innocent people in Ukraine. Biden stressed at the meeting that the ideas and values of Israel and the United States are the same.
Joko and Klaas give away Insta accounts to activists
Meanwhile, two of Germany’s best-known entertainers are supporting the systemic protest movement in Iran with concentrated attention: Joko and Klaas have given away their personal Instagram accounts “forever” to two Iranian activists – together they have nearly two million followers.
The two ProSieben moderators announced the solidarity campaign on Wednesday evening in the program “Joko and Klaas 15 minutes live”. They had previously deleted their own posts. For minutes, ProSieben broadcast prime-time footage of the protests in Iran and footage of the security forces brutally attacking them.
(SDA)