Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called for national unity Tuesday as anti-government protests extended to universities and high schools in the country.
Pres. Raisi reiterated the official line that the unrest, sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman while under police custody, was a conspiracy by Iran's adversaries, per AP News. Though he admitted that the Islamic Republic had its faults and "weaknesses."
In a parliament session, Ebrahim Raisi noted that Iran aims for "cooperation to reduce people's problems."
"Unity and national integrity are necessities that render our enemy hopeless," he added.
These accusations are similar to those made by Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his initial statements when he attributed the upheaval to the country's enemies: the United States and Israel.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran's leaders have been untrusting of Western influence and have attributed domestic issues to international foes without presenting proof.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public comments on the Iran protests, saying that the "riots" had been manufactured by the country's adversaries and their partners.
The Supreme Leader of Iran remarked during a graduation ceremony for police and military cadets on Monday that the victim's death was heartbreaking, as per a BBC report.
He continued, without further elaborating on any specific occurrences, that "some people, without proof or an investigation, have made the streets dangerous," destroyed the Quran, stripped hijabs from "veiled women," and set fire to mosques and cars.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that the Iranian protests were "engineered by America and the occupying, false Zionist regime [Israel], as well as their paid agents, with the help of some traitorous Iranians abroad."
Iranian Authorities Deny Brutal Punishment on Amini
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, went into a coma after being detained by morality police in Tehran on September 13 for allegedly disobeying the Hijab Law mandating women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. After three days, she passed away.
Amini's loved ones claim police officers bashed her skull on a patrol car and hit her with a baton. But the authorities denied the accusation and have stated that there is no proof of abuse and that she died of "sudden heart failure."
Women have been at the forefront of the demonstrations that erupted after Ms. Amini's burial, burning their headscarves and raising slogans like "Woman, life, freedom" and "Death to the dictator" in reference to Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Brutal Crackdown Condemned by US, EU
The US and its allies have condemned Iran's bloody crackdown on protesters.
US President Joe Biden expressed profound concern on reports of brutal crackdowns on nonviolent participants in the Iran protests.
Biden stated that the United States "stands with Iranian women" who are enlightening the world with their fortitude and call for "universal principles."
In the wake of the Iran protests, the United Kingdom called on Iran's top diplomat in London to convey the message that the Iranian government should accept "responsibility for their actions and listen to the concerns of their people."
Reuters reported that Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic have made 16 recommendations for further European Union penalties against Iran for its deadly repression of protests over women's rights, according to a source in German's foreign ministry.
According to the source, the suggested sanctions would largely target individuals and organizations guilty of suppressing nationwide protests.
Those proposing the sanctions anticipate the EU foreign ministers will approve them at their Oct. 17 meeting, Spiegel magazine reported.
On Monday, EU Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called Iran's crackdown on protesters a "display of utter dread of education and the power of freedom" and threatened penalties.
Baerbock posted on Twitter: "It is also difficult to bear that our foreign policy options are limited," adding that the EU can "amplify" the voice of the protesters and "bring charges and sanctions."
