Trump confirms details of alleged US involvement in Iranian protests

US President Confirms Involvement in Iranian Protests

In a phone interview with Fox News on Sunday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had provided arms to Iranian opposition groups and protesters during mass antigovernment demonstrations in December and January. The protests, which began on December 28 among shopkeepers in downtown Tehran, spread nationwide and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.

According to Trump, the US sent guns to the protesters, specifically to the Kurdish group, with some reports suggesting that they were kept by the Kurds. Trump’s statement lends credence to Iran’s claims that the protests were foreign-inspired.

The demonstrations, which drew hundreds of thousands of people, called for a change in government and were marked by violent crackdowns by government forces. Rights groups reported that Iranian authorities cracked down on protesters, particularly on January 8 and 9, resulting in widespread killings and arrests.

The US-Israel war on Iran entered its 38th day on February 28, with at least 2,076 people killed and 26,000 injured. The conflict has sparked international concern, with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran estimating that at least 5,000 people were killed during the protests.

Iranian authorities have accused US- and Israel-backed groups of hijacking the economic protests, while US President Trump’s statement suggests a deeper level of involvement by the US. The extent of this involvement remains unclear, with analysts warning that Trump’s shifting statements on Iran make it difficult to determine the full scope of US involvement in the protests.

The protests were the largest since the September 2022 women’s rights demonstrations, which followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. At least four people have been executed in connection with the protests, according to Amnesty International, and several more are on death row.

Source: Al Jazeera