US officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Vice President Kamala Harris showed their support for the ongoing demonstrations in Iran on Friday, by receiving activists and members of the Iranian diaspora.
Opening a meeting at the State Department, Blinken praised “the remarkable courage shown across Iran by women, youth and many others to stand up for their fundamental rights that the Iranian regime continues to deprive them of.”
Among those present was the actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi, who was also received this Friday at the White House, either by a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, or by Vice President Kamala Harris.
The vice president stressed, in turn, in a statement, that she is inspired by the “courage of these women” as well as “the whole world.”
Kamala Harris promised her guest Washington’s help in “ensuring important voices are heard” and “even facilitating Internet access” in Iran.
Outrage over the September 16 death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini sparked the biggest wave of demonstrations and violence in Iran since the 2019 protests against rising fuel prices in the oil-rich country.
Masha Amini was arrested on September 13 by the so-called Tehran customs police for allegedly breaking the strict dress code for women in the Islamic Republic, in particular the wearing of the veil.
According to the Iran Human Rights (IHR) association, based in Oslo, at least 108 people have died since the start of the protests triggered by the death of the young woman and which have been strongly repressed by the Iranian authorities.
“I think we are witnessing something remarkable across the country, led primarily by women and young people,” said Antony Blinken, referring to “a surge of spontaneous anger”.
The head of US diplomacy was accompanied by the number two of the State Department, Wendy Sherman, and by the US special envoy for negotiations with Iran.
Among the Iranian participants were, in addition to Nazanin Boniadi, the writer Roya Hakakian and human rights defenders such as Sherry Hakimi.
“We were unanimous in suggesting that [os EUA] it must stop nuclear negotiations until the violence ceases. And I think everyone heard us loud and clear,” Roya Hakakian told NPR radio after the meeting.
On Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it was “unlikely in the short term” that there would be success in these discussions, which are aimed at implementing a 2015 deal on Iranian nuclear energy.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the United States on Thursday of carrying out “a policy of destabilization” against the Islamic Republic.
“If that’s the case, if they really think that way, then they basically don’t understand their own people,” Blinken said Friday in reaction to the comments.
The United States announced economic sanctions on October 6 against seven top Iranian officials for their role in suppressing the protests, following a first series of sanctions announced on September 22 against the Iranian morality police and various security officials.
Source: TSF
