Iran demos appear to ease, some US personnel quit Qatar
Anti-government protests that have rocked Iran for more than two weeks appear to be abating after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the United States could take military action over the killings of peaceful demonstrators, according to analysts and residents.
A report published by the US-based Critical Threats Project (CTP) stated that only seven protests were recorded in six provinces on Tuesday; This is a sharp decrease from last Thursday, when 156 demonstrations were documented in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
CTP is managed by the US-based Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute.
The authors warned that it was still difficult to assess the true extent of protest activity due to widespread internet blackouts that restricted the flow of information out of the country.
They also noted the large number of casualties reported during the unrest, stating that “the level of brutality may be discouraging protesters and reducing the rate of protest activity.”
Two European officials said US military intervention appeared likely, while one said it could come within the next 24 hours.
An Israeli official also said Trump appeared to have decided to intervene, although the scope and timing were not yet clear.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US had withdrawn some of its personnel from key bases in the region as a precaution due to rising regional tensions.
Two European officials said US military intervention appeared likely, while one said it could come within the next 24 hours.
An Israeli official also said that Trump appeared to have decided to intervene, but the scope and timing were not yet clear.
Qatar said the withdrawals from Al Udeid air base, the largest US base in the region, were “made in response to current regional tensions”.
Three diplomats said some personnel were told to leave the base, although there was no sign that large numbers of soldiers were being taken by buses to a football stadium and shopping mall, as was the case hours before Iran’s missile attack last year.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said more than 2,400 demonstrators were killed; This figure would be the deadliest crackdown in Iran’s recent history.
The toll could not be independently verified.
Tehran residents said there was a tense calm in the capital on Wednesday.
Police and security forces remain stationed at many key locations, but their presence is less than at the weekend, residents said.
Iranian authorities continue to take action against protest organizers.
State media reported on Wednesday that security forces arrested several alleged protest leaders in the western provinces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.
According to state radio, the intelligence arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained people it described as “key figures responsible for insecurity.”
The state was the scene of some of the fiercest clashes at the start of the protest movement in late December.
Violent unrest broke out in the city of Lordegan after security forces opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in several deaths.
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari are economically underdeveloped regions where distrust of the state is high, and analysts say the harsh security response has contributed to the rapid escalation there.
The judiciary also warned the public against cooperating with London-based Persian-language broadcaster Iran International, which authorities accused of spreading disinformation on behalf of Saudi Arabia.
According to state media, the Prosecutor General’s Office said that any cooperation or exchange of information with the channel is prohibited.
Iran has designated the company behind the broadcaster as a terrorist organization.
The protests began on December 28 with demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over the sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions, and later turned into a nationwide uprising against the country’s rulers.
via Reuters and AP
