The United States expects protests against the Iranian government in various countries in the Middle East to continue and deepen this year, US Special Representative Brian Hook said during a press briefing on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2020) The United States expects protests against the Iranian government in various countries in the middle East to continue and deepen this year, US Special Representative Brian Hook said during a press briefing on Friday.
"We have seen protests against the Iranian regime in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, and the peoples of these three countries are all protesting the same model of corruption and sectarian violence," Hook said. "We fully expect these protests to continue because the Iranian regime is facing a crisis of legitimacy and credibility. We expect that to deepen in 2020, not just in Iran, but in other states."
Iran experienced widespread protests last fall - starting in mid-November - that began over an increase in fuel prices. Some of the rallies were peaceful, while others transformed into violent clashes between demonstrators and police, according to media reports.
On Saturday, hundreds of students gathered outside the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran to honor the passengers killed in the Ukrainian International Airlines (UIA) plane crash in Iran. The gathering, which was not approved by the Iranian authorities, resulted in a rally demanding the resignation and prosecution of those responsible for the downing of the UIA airplane.
