A G7 meeting in Münster deals with the tensions in Iran. Meanwhile, US President Biden is causing a stir with statements about the events. News and background information in the ticker.
- US President speaks of “liberation”: Iran protests: Head of State Raisi completes Announcement to Biden
- Meeting of G7 foreign ministers: In Munster is also about the Iran protests discussed.
- After this Death of Mahsa Amini the protests in Iran are already in their seventh week.
- This News ticker to the protests in Iran is continuously updated.
Update from November 4, 8:43 p.m.: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and the other participants in the G7 meeting sharply criticized the Iranian government’s actions against the demonstrators. “We do not accept it when there is this massive violation of human rights in Iran,” said the Green politician on Friday at the end of the two-day deliberations of the G7 in Münster, Westphalia. Baerbock also indirectly threatened Tehran with further sanctions. A comparison was made as to which sanctions the partners would have taken because “of course you have the most effect when we act together”.
In addition to dealing with demonstrators, Baerbock also criticized the alleged arms deliveries to Russia. In addition to Germany, the G7 group also includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Germany will hold the presidency until the end of the year, and Japan will take over the presidency next year. Many sanctions packages have already been passed against Iran for various reasons, said Baerbock. Now it has been made clear again “that we have launched further sanctions packages in view of the most recent massive violations of human rights”.
The G7 called on the Iranian government to “ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses are held accountable.”
Iran: Shia cleric shot dead in mosque – tensions rise
Update from November 4, 5:06 p.m.: According to IRNA, a Shia cleric was shot dead in a mosque in the predominantly Sunni Muslim city of Sahedan (the local language is Zahedan). This further fuels sectarian tensions in the region and thus torpedoes the government’s efforts to contain the massive unrest.
According to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, the dead cleric is Sajjad Shahraki. “A special task force has been formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators,” the police commander of Sistan-Balochistan province is quoted as saying.
Sahedan was the scene of tragedy on September 30 during popular protests that began with the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini two weeks earlier. Amnesty International said security forces killed at least 66 people in a crackdown on protesters in the area. As a result, the responsible police commander in the region in the far south-east of the country was allegedly dismissed. The deaths sparked a heated debate, with a senior Sunni cleric saying senior officials in the Shia establishment, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are accountable “before God”.
Joe Biden is questioned about Iran protests – US President talks about “liberation”
Update from November 4, 3:35 p.m.: US President Joe Biden made a remarkable Iran announcement towards Tehran in the election campaign for the upcoming “midterms”. In view of the massive protests against the Islamic state government, the democrat said: “We will liberate Iran.”
Actually, the meeting in Oceanside was about supporting Democrat Mike Levin, who is running for a seat in the US House of Representatives. However, the audience asked Biden to comment on the protests in Iran that have continued to date after the death of Mahsa Amini.
The White House in Washington recently issued several sanctions against representatives of the Iranian leadership in Tehran because of the Iranian regime’s brutal treatment of demonstrators. “Don’t worry, we will liberate Iran. They’re going to free themselves pretty soon,” Biden said. In 2019, the Iranian secret service said it had uncovered a US spy network. Also because of Iran’s support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, the two major powers are in a conflict over arms deliveries, drones and ballistic missiles.
Iran: G7 representatives discuss Iran protests in Germany
Original article from November 4, 2022: Tehran/Münster – Iran is one of those powers with which the United States has had a tense relationship for decades. On Friday in Münster, the G7 foreign ministers continued their deliberations on the global consequences of the Ukraine war, but also on future dealings with Iran. In addition to the violence against demonstrators in system-critical protests in the Asian country, the group of leading economic nations are also said to be dealing with arms deliveries from Tehran to Russia.
According to John Kirby, communications director for the US National Security Council, concerns remain that Iran is supplying Moscow with weapons other than combat drones, such as surface-to-surface missiles. Meanwhile, in Iran itself, on the anniversary of the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, thousands of government supporters took to the streets.
Iran: Anniversary of US Embassy Hostage Taking – “Down with America!”
Demonstrators gathered in front of the former embassy site in the capital. Addressing US President Joe Biden in a speech televised on state television, President Ebrahim Raisi said: “Mr President, Iran became free 43 years ago and is determined not to be your prisoner. And we will never be a cash cow.” Again and again his speech was interrupted by the shout “Down with America!”.
The storming of the US Embassy by students and the ensuing hostage-taking on November 4, 1979 severely damaged US-Iranian relations. The kidnappers held 52 Americans captive for 444 days. After that, Switzerland acted as a mediator for US interests in Tehran.
Iran protests: FDP demands tougher crackdown on Iran from Baerbock
For more than six weeks, tens of thousands have been demonstrating in Iran against the repressive course of the government and the Islamic Republic. The protests have become a major stress test for Iran’s leadership, with President Raisi blaming the US for the protests. The trigger was the death of the young Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in mid-September. According to human rights activists, almost 300 people have been killed and more than 14,000 arrested during the protests.
Meanwhile, FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai has called on Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) to do more for sanctions against the Iranian leadership. It is important for the Iranian revolution how foreign countries behave, explained the Free Liberal in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”. Personal sanctions against the Iranian leadership are necessary, but none that hit the people there. Unfortunately, the sanctions imposed by the European Union are only of a symbolic nature, criticized the FDP politician. “Here I also expect our Federal Foreign Minister to do more. Because what she has done so far is not enough in my opinion,” said Djir-Sarai. (PF with dpa material)
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