Times of Israel: Iranian authorities have barely mentioned days of raging protests in several major cities including Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad and Tehran, which are driven by concerns over the economy as well as wider anger at the political system.
The rulers of Iran may have a good reason to hide the scale of the demonstrations. According to reports, many protesters stressed that they blamed their government, not Washington, for the expected effects of US sanctions, which are due to restart on August 6 after the Trump Administration pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
“As long as the dictator [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] stands, the uprising will continue,” shouted demonstrators in the city of Karaj, the Arab News website reported.
In Isafan, marchers shouted “death to the dictator,” before appearing to set fire to police cars, CBS News reported.
“The enemy is here; they are lying when they say it is America,” protesters in Isfahan chanted, according to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) which receives support from some in the Trump administration.
The state-run IRNA news agency said Thursday around 100 people protested in the northern city of Sari, as well as unknown numbers in Shiraz, Ahavz and Mashhad, but that the demonstrations were broken up by police as they were taking place without permission from authorities.
Videos on social media, which could not be independently verified, purported to show clashes between protesters and authorities.
Videos on social media in recent days have shown people chanting “Death to the dictator,” but authorities have charged that such footage was promoted by emigre opposition groups funded by the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Foreign media are barred from observing or filming “unauthorized” protests.
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