Amid international concerns over the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on dissent, its foreign minister has warned the UN Human Rights Council over organizing any session to discuss the situation.
In a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Thursday night, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned of the “negative consequences” of the UNHRC’s “political measure” on cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the West, referring to calls for a special meeting over the deadly clampdown on the current protests across Iran.
Alleging that the Islamic Republic has "deeply exercised restraint" in the ongoing unrest – which has left over 300 protesters dead and about 15,000 detained, he told the UN chief that such a meeting should be held for countries that "promote violence and terror."
“The UN Human Rights Council should hold sessions for governments that are encouraging violence and terror, not for the Islamic Republic of Iran which is a true defender of human rights and has exercised great restraint during recent riots,” he said.
Amir-Abdollahian added that “Contrary to the UN Charter, a few Western countries exploited the peaceful demands in Iran and encouraged violence and offered tutorials on building weapons and Molotov cocktails on media and social networks which led to the killing of police and insecurity in Iran.”
Iranian officials have been accusing “enemies” of fomenting protests, but so far have not presented any evidence.
He also claimed that “technical” negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are at “appropriate” levels, despite remarks by the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog. Rafael Mariano Grossi said Wednesday Iran did not offer anything new during a recent meeting in Vienna to resolve major differences.
Department spokesperson Ned Price answering a question during his press briefing about the visit of Russia’s national security council secretary Nilolai Patrushev to Iran this week, said, “All of this is a concern in the context of the partnership – in some ways the burgeoning partnership – that we’ve seen develop in recent years and in different ways in recent months between Iran and Russia. This is a deepening alliance that the entire world should view as a profound threat.“
Patrushev held meetings with his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani and President Ebrahim Raisi on November 9, discussing their "strategic partnership".
Price referring to Iranian drones used by Russia against Ukraine said that the US is working with the international community "to address the threats that are posed by Russia and Iran separately and the cooperation…between the two of them, including Iran’s dangerous proliferation of weapon systems to Russia."
Price also reiterated concern over Russia possibly helping Iran with knowledge of how to suppress protests but did not share any evidence of such cooperation.
A reporter asked Price during his briefing for more details about an initial statement two weeks ago that Russia may be helping Iran to suppress demonstrators.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing more I can provide,’ Price responded adding that “In some instances we’re able to provide additional detail, including as we’ve done with the transfer of weapons. In this case it was the broader point that there are indications that this knowledge may be shared.”
Price went on to say that both Russia and Iran “have a good deal of experience when it comes to repression. They have both demonstrated their effectiveness when it comes to their ability to repress their people…our concern is that they will share this knowledge and that they will attempt to optimize those practices.”
Russia is a signatory of the 2015 nuclear accord known as the JCPOA and played an active role during 18 months of negotiations in Vienna initiated by the Biden Administration immediately after coming to office. But ultimately Iran presented demands unacceptable for Washington and the talks reached a dead-end in August, as Tehran was delivering military drones to Moscow.
In the meantime, Iran continues to expand its nuclear program with enriching more uranium, with having stockpiled 62 kilograms of fissile material enriched at 60 percent, enough for one nuclear weapon. The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA confirming this development voiced concern on Thursday [Nov. 10].
Iran is also expanding its missile program, with testing its ballistic missiles with space launches and developing new weapons.
A top Iranian commander announced Thursday that Tehran has developed hypersonic ballistic missile.
"This missile has a high speed and can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere. It will target the enemy's advanced anti-missile systems and is a big generational leap in the field of missiles," commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying.
IAEA’s chief Rafael Grossi pointing to this announcement said during the United Nations COP27 climate meeting in Egypt that “We see that all these announcements increase the attention, increase the concerns, increase the public attention to the Iranian nuclear program.”
Taraneh Alidoosti – best known for Oscar-winning movie "The Salesman" -- posted a picture of herself on Instagram without a headscarf on Wednesday, joining several other actresses who have unveiled in public to express support for the ongoing protests, ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody of hijab or ‘morality’ police.
In her photo, the artist hold up a sign which reads, "Woman, Life, Freedom" in Kurdish, the main motto of the protest rallies that have been echoing across Iran and abroad for the past 53 days. Along with her Instagram photo, Alidoosti, who has published many Instagram posts critical of the clerical regime in the past, also wrote phrases of a song by contemporary singer-songwriter Shahyar Ghanbari. "Your final absence, the migration of singing birds, is not the end of this rebellion," read the poem, signaling her support for the protests.
Describing the move as “an cultural earthquake,” anti-hijab activist Masih Alinejad posted Alidoosti’s photo on her twitter account. “Another blow lands against gender apartheid regime,” she said.
Earlier on Thursday, two other Iranian actresses – namely Donya Madani and Khazar Ma'soomi – also posted photos of themselves without hijab.
In her post without hijab, Donya Madani said, "Now, I am myself and what I see in the mirror is myself. I will fight for women, life, freedom." Khazar Ma'soomi also shared a poem about Iran.
Three other female filmmakers -- Azadeh Bizargiti, Mina Akbari, and Maryam Yavari – also published photos without hijab on Thursday.
Many Iranian celebrities in Iran and abroad praised the move by the actresses and shared their photos on their social media pages to express their support.
Since the start of protests, several other female actresses have posted pictures of themselves without the compulsory hijab in solidarity with the demonstrations. Among the first ones was Katayoun Riyahi, who has not been heard of since reports about her attempted arrest by security forces.
Such acts of defiance by actresses have been a thorn in the eyes of the Islamic Republic’s state broadcaster that has to remove them from TV sitcoms and movies they had appeared in or stop airing the shows altogether.
In addition to actresses, several Iran-based athletes have unveiled in public or posted on social media in support of the protests.
Parmida Ghasemi is the latest athlete who removed hijab in public. Unlike other athletes who defied the hijab rules when competing abroad, she removed her head covering on the podium at the end of an archery cup.
Last week, Niloufar Mardani, a member of the national Iranian speed skating team stepped on a podium in Turkey on November 6 to receive the top award while not wearing a headscarf.
She was arrested by the Islamic Republic’s agents after returning to Iran and later a statement attributed to her was published in which she said she appeared unveiled in public by mistake. Most Iranians believe that such statements are made under the pressure of regime agents.
In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi appeared without hijab in the finals of competitions in South Korea, causing an international sensation. She was greeted by a huge welcoming crowd as she returned home but the vehicle carrying her did not stop and passed through the large crowd, taking her directly to a meeting of the country’s sports minister.
Shortly after, state media published a video interview of Rekabi in the airport arrival hall, in which the athlete called her move to appear without hijab “inadvertent.”
Iran’s national beach football team did not cheer or celebrate after winning the cup following their final victory against Brazil and also refused to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic at the beginning of their semifinal match against the UAE.
During the final, Iranian striker Saeed Piramoun expressed his solidarity with Iranian protesters by miming the hair cutting gesture after scoring a goal, a move that has drawn enormous appreciation by Iranian social media users and renowned footballers alike.
The “hair-cutting” gesture has become an international symbol of solidarity with Iranian women and the protest movement with many international athletes and celebrities posting images of themselves re-enacting the move.
Hannah Neumann said during a parliament session on Thursday said that people of Iran are being brutally suppressed by their own regime “and it is not accepted by us.”
“Protesters are beaten-up, raped and killed in the streets and in prisons, not by criminals but by those who claim to be the government of this wonderful country,” she added.
Speaking during a session she went on to say that out of the 290 members of the Iranian parliament 227 called on the country’s judiciary to severely punish protesters and political prisoners, including with issuing death sentences.
Neumann called on her colleagues in the European Union to send a very strong signal that such moves are not accepted.
She also urged them to impose targeted sanctions against these 227 Iranian lawmakers.
Neumann stated that the EU is right now preparing a sanctions package to be issued by the Foreign Affairs Council next Monday, but “this package has only 31 individuals,” so a debate must be held to include all these Iranian parliamentarians.
A group of 227 parliament members in Iran called on the Judiciary Sunday to issue death sentences for people arrested during the ongoing antigovernment protests.
In a statement that was read out in the Iranian parliament on Sunday, the lawmakers called the protesters ‘Mohareb’ -- which literally means warrior in Arabic, but in Islamic law or sharia it means ‘enemy of God’ that carries the death penalty.