Tehran: – Protests erupted in Iran’s Khuzestan province over water shortages that have spread to the capital, Tehran. For the first time in 18 months, slogans were given on the streets of Tehran against Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s supreme religious leader. It is claimed that the Iranian people, outraged by the country’s growing economic frustration and social failure, are joining the protests. The protests have erupted in the capital, Tehran, with just days to go for President-elect Ebrahim Raisi to take over.
There have been strong protests over water shortages in Iran‘s Khuzestan province for the past two weeks. The protesters accused the country’s regime of ignoring water shortages in Khuzestan, one of the most significant contributors to Iranian fuel exports. About 700 villages here are facing this crisis. As reported in the Gulf and Western media, the protests, limited to Khuzestan for the past ten days, have now reached the capital, Tehran, and other major cities.
Proclamations were made in Tehran against Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme religious leader having a tight grip over the Iranian political system. Videos from Tehran and other cities have surfaced showing the protestors shouting slogans like ‘Destroy the dictator’, ‘Damn Khamenei’, ‘Get out of the country’, ‘Let guns, tanks, guns and religious leaders leave the country’, ‘We will sacrifice only for Iran and not for Gaza or Lebanon’. The protesters are also gaining support from Iranian lawyers, artists, journalists and expatriate Iranians.
Iranian and international analysts claim that the protests against the Iranian regime in Tehran after 18 months is a serious matter. Saeed Madani, a sociologist in Tehran, clarified, ‘People in the country will not take to the streets to protest and express their displeasure unless they are frustrated with their regime’.
Iranian analysts point out that dissent against the Khamenei regime was also evident in the presidential election held in June. The Iranian people, outraged by the rule of Supreme Leader Khamenei, boycotted the election. For the first time since 1979, the election in Iran had such a low turnout. Although Khamenei’s henchman, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected in the election, Iranian analysts warned that Raisi is likely to be struck shortly by the discontent against the Iranian regime.
Iranian authorities are contrasting reactions regarding the ongoing protests in various parts of Iran, including Tehran. Iranian officials told the media, ‘The protests in Tehran have nothing to do with water scarcity in Khuzestan. Civilians took to the streets in parts of Tehran due to the power outage. But the protests did not involve any anti-regime rhetoric.’ On Tuesday, Iranian media accused Mossad of being behind the protests.
Iranian security agencies detained Mossad agents in Tehran as well as from other parts of the country. Iranian media say large hauls of arms were seized from these agents. The Israeli news agency has accused Israeli intelligence of plotting to use these weapons to incite violence during the protests against the Iranian regime. Earlier, Iran had blamed the Mossad for suspicious bombings and fires in the country.
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