Iran’s president mentioned criticism over human and girls’s rights ought to be aimed on the West and never Iran.

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has denounced “enemies” for sparking unrest within the nation and the area throughout a ceremony to mark the forty fourth anniversary of the 1979 revolution that birthed the Islamic republic.

In a televised speech to crowds on the Azadi (Freedom) Sq. in Tehran on Saturday, the president remained defiant within the face of criticism by the West, particularly the US, on the institution’s response to protests that started in September final yr.

“I say to the enemies; you need to hear the phrase of the individuals? These are the good individuals of Iran,” he asserted, adopted by chants of “demise to America” and “demise to Israel” from the crowds.

Nationwide anti-government protests specializing in the nation’s necessary hijab protecting for ladies ignited after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died within the custody of the nation’s morality police on September 16. The demonstrations have since remodeled into the best problem to the Islamic republic for the reason that 2009 Inexperienced Motion over disputed elections.

Reemphasising Iranian authorities’ claims that the West and its allies have been behind the nation’s unrest, Raisi mentioned the nation’s enemies didn’t cease its progress, in order that they turned to the “challenge of chaos” that he mentioned they’ve additionally tried to implement in neighbouring Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

“Those that have been deceived by the enemy now know that the enemy’s concern is neither lady nor life or freedom or human rights, but it surely needs to remove the independence and the tranquil lifetime of the Iranian nation,” Raisi mentioned in reference to the “lady, life, freedom” slogan that has outlined the protests.

Responding to Western criticism that the Islamic republic violates human rights and girls’s rights, the president mentioned the Iranian institution is in a greater place to criticise the behaviour of the West.

“You employ ladies as instruments and have turned them into commodities” whereas “you propagate the vilest type of obscenities, that means homosexuality,” he mentioned.

Raisi added that the West “created, supported and armed ISIS [ISIL]” whereas Iran fought it, and added that Iran shouldn’t be denounced for its nuclear programme as a result of it has no nuclear weapons, in contrast to its Western opponents.

State TV feed hijacked

Throughout Raisi’s speech, the streaming web site of state tv was disrupted by a video by an obvious hacker group, which was displayed for a number of seconds earlier than the feed was restored.

“Demise to the Islamic republic,” a masked lady mentioned with an altered voice within the video, calling for extra road protests and taking cash out of banks.

All through Saturday morning, state tv carried reside footage of demonstrations and marches in lots of Iranian cities, additionally displaying prime politicians and army commanders taking part. Fireworks had been set off throughout the nation the evening earlier than the revolution’s anniversary.

In Tehran, authorities additionally made army shows, exhibiting a number of varieties of ballistic and cruise missiles along with armoured automobiles and drones – together with the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone that the West accuses Russia of deploying within the Ukraine warfare.

In the meantime, a day earlier than the revolution anniversary, a number of figures against the Islamic republic held conferences and a joint press convention on the Georgetown College in Washington, DC.

The group, which included Reza Pahlavi, the 62-year-old son of the final shah of Iran who fled through the 1979 revolution, known as for unity and an finish to infighting amongst opposition teams in an effort to overthrow the present institution.

Iranian officers have but to instantly react to Friday’s convention, however they’ve beforehand denounced foreign-based opposition teams and figures as attempting to destabilise the nation.