Do not crack down on protesters: Iran's President Pezeshkian orders security forces

On Wednesday (Jan 7), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered security forces not to crack down on protesters. He mentioned to draw a clear distinction between peaceful demonstrators and armed "rioters." Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said Pezeshkian had "ordered that no security measures be taken against the demonstrators." This was announcement came as Ghaempanah spoke to news agency Mehr after a cabinet meeting.

He added, “Those who carry firearms, knives and machetes and who attack police stations and military sites are rioters, and we must distinguish protesters from rioters.”

On January 2, Donald Trump warned Iran not to use force on protesters. He assured Iranians that the US will come to their rescue “if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters” and he further mentioned violence to be “their custom”. He added on his Truth Social post, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J TRUMP.”

Iran’s leadership hit back at the warning, with Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying on Friday that any US interference in Iranian protests would lead to chaos across the region. His remarks came after Trump warned Washington would intervene if Iran used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said America will come to Tehran’s rescue if protesters are attacked, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced his remarks. Araghchi termed it "reckless and dangerous". “Given President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard within U.S. borders, he of all people should know that criminal attacks on public property cannot be tolerated. This is why President Trump’s message today, likely influenced by those who fear diplomacy or mistakenly believe it is unnecessary, is reckless and dangerous. As in the past, the Great People of Iran will forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs,” the foreign minister added.