The massacre in Iran continues to mark international political news in recent hours, especially after Donald Trump’s words this Monday in which he encouraged Iranians to continue with the protests and take control of the institutions.
“Save the names of the murderers and those responsible for the abuses. You will pay a high price. I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless murders of protesters stop,” the US president wrote in Truth Social, where he also assured that “help is on the way.”
The Iranian regime did not take long to respond and show its strength, assuring through its Defense Minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, that they will respond with “more decisiveness” to any type of aggression and that the country is more prepared now than during the offensive carried out by Israel and the United States a few months ago.
Nasirzadeh said Iran has “effective surprises” to defend its territory “to the last drop of blood,” and that it has the support of Russia, which has also warned the United States of “dire consequences” for international security if Washington uses the country’s internal crisis as an excuse to carry out a military intervention.
While the protests continue and have lasted for several days, several European Union countries, including Spain, have summoned their Iranian ambassadors in the last few hours to convey their strongest condemnation. In this context, Pedro Sánchez demanded the immediate end of violence and arbitrary arrests.
The death toll is approaching 2,000
The protests, which began 17 days ago, have already claimed the lives of almost 2,000 people. Human rights organizations such as HRA have confirmed the deaths of 1,850 people, including nine minors, in addition to 16,700 arrests.
The NGO is also investigating another 770 deaths related to the repression by state forces, and assures that this number will “probably” be much higher “given the continuous internet and communications blockades” that are occurring in the country.
Since last January 8, the Iranian regime has cut off communications and internet access. Human rights organizations denounce that this internet blackout is already the longest in the country’s history and that it is intended to hide “serious human rights violations.”
Tension in the markets
The wave of protests in Iran has also been noted in international markets, where we observed several days of increases in the price of oil due to the risk of possible interruptions in Iranian supplies.
In this context, Donald Trump also announced in the last few hours 25% tariffs on countries that trade with Iran, a tax that is generating significant concern among exporters and is adding even more uncertainty to international trade in the region.
Like the United States, the United Kingdom and other European allies have also announced tough sanctions against Iran, increasing the risk of exclusion from financial markets and limiting foreign investment in some key sectors for the Iranian economy.
