Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Iran's supreme chief and its president tried Thursday to hyperlink the nationwide protests roiling the nation to an ISIS-claimed gun assault on a well-known mosque that killed 15 individuals.
The feedback by Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi come as Iran's theocracy has been unable to include the demonstrations, sparked by the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her detention by the nation's morality police.
The protests, probably the most critical unrest to grip Iran since its 2009 Inexperienced Motion demonstrations, have grown to embody anger over Iran's cratered financial system and its theocracy as nicely.
Over 200 individuals have been killed amid a crackdown in Iran, with 1000's of others arrested by police, activists say.
The Norway-based Hengaw Group for Human Rights tweeted Thursday that Iranian safety forces shot and killed a Kurdish man throughout protests within the western metropolis of Mahabad, in accordance with Agence France-Presse.
That occurred as mourners had been leaving the funeral of a demonstrator killed the night time earlier than, the group added.
On Wednesday, a gunman opened hearth on worshippers at Shiraz's Shah Cheragh mosque, the second-holiest web site in Iran. State media mentioned not less than 15 individuals had been killed within the assault, which authorities initially attributed to a number of gunmen.
Footage launched Thursday by authorities confirmed the gunman strolling close to the mosque with a big backpack, then later shifting into the mosque with a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle. Barefoot worshippers inside attempt to flee as the person opens hearth, then hunts these hiding behind no matter they may discover. Blood may very well be seen on the mosque's ground.
Riot police later captured the person, whom authorities have but to determine.
ISIS late Wednesday claimed duty for the assault, through its Amaq information company. It mentioned an armed ISIS militant stormed the shrine and opened hearth on its guests.
In a speech Thursday, Raisi described the continuing protests as "riots" that allowed for the capturing in Shiraz. Nevertheless, there is not any proof linking extremist teams to the widespread, largely peaceable demonstrations which were repeatedly focused by a heavy-handed safety pressure crackdown within the nation.
"The enemy desires the riots to pave the best way for terrorist assaults. The enemy is at all times the enemy," Raisi contended. "They go to a holy shrine of a son of the prophet, our third-most essential shrine, his majesty Shah Cheragh, and open hearth at harmless worshipers."
For his half, 83-year-old Khamenei blamed the assault on a "plot of the enemies."
"All of us have duties to deal a blow to the warmongering enemy and its treacherous and silly cohorts," Khamenei reportedly mentioned. "All our individuals starting from the safety our bodies and the judiciary physique and activists within the area of media should be united towards the wave that disregards and disrespects individuals's lives, their safety and their sacred issues."