Iran claims calm while witnesses report shootings at protesters
Photo: Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister (Getty Images)
Iranian authorities say they have full control over the situation in the country and that conditions have stabilized, according to an interview given by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Fox News.
"We are in full control," Araghchi added. "And let's, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don't go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody."
Abbas Araghchi dismissed claims by human rights groups that thousands of peaceful protesters have been killed, saying the number of fatalities stands at hundreds.
The minister blamed the deaths on what he described as an “Israeli conspiracy” aimed at provoking US intervention.
According to Araghchi, police and security forces spent three days confronting “terrorists,” not protesters.
He also said the authorities do not plan to carry out executions of detained protest participants.
However, witness accounts cited by Fox News report gunfire directed at unarmed protesters and targeted sniper activity, contradicting the Iranian government’s official statements.
As previously reported, on January 14 all European Union ambassadors still working in Tehran were summoned to a closed-door meeting with Araghchi.
The meeting began with the foreign minister outlining the regime’s official position, describing the protests as being organized by "provocateurs" allegedly backed from abroad.
European diplomats made it clear that further repression would only increase European pressure.
Mass protests in Iran
Mass anti-government protests erupted in Iran on December 28, sparked by harsh government actions, persistent human rights violations, and a worsening economic and social situation.
According to unconfirmed reports, up to 12,000 people may have been killed during the unrest.
More details on the protests in Iran and their potential implications for Ukraine are available in a separate report by RBC-Ukraine.
