The Chief of Staff of Iran’s army, Major General Amir Khatami, has warned US President Donald Trump against intervening in the ongoing protests by the Iranian people against the regime.
His remarks followed a statement from Trump, who warned the leadership in Tehran that harm to civilians could provoke a direct American response. Trump declared that the United States will not stand idly by and would hold Iran’s leaders personally responsible for any harm to the people.
Khatami responded by asserting that the Iranian protests have nothing to do with the US President or the Prime Minister of “the criminal Zionist entity." He claimed that the Iranian people have behaved in a “dignified and admirable" manner, resisting the “rioters" and refusing to follow the path that the US and Israel had hoped for.
He further stated that while protests are a natural phenomenon in every country, the transformation of demonstrations into violent riots is “certainly" the result of planning by “the enemy."
Over the past 24 hours, protests against the regime have intensified across Iran. Initial reports indicate that the city of Karaj has fallen into the hands of the rebels, while tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Tehran, Mashhad, and other cities, chanting against the regime and its religious leadership.