Iran deploys Revolutionary Guards to crackdown on anti-government protests

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Iran on Wednesday deployed their Revolutionary Guards forces to three provinces to crackdown on anti-government protests following six days of country-wide demonstrations which left 22 people dead and hundreds more arrested.

The protests, which started last week, quickly spread to cities across the country as demonstrators protested high unemployment, income inequality, and corruption within the Iranian government.

In response to the unrest, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite force of the Shia-dominated theocracy, were dispatched to the provinces of Hamadan, Isfahan, and Lorestan to address “the new sedition,” IRGC commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said.

The elite forces were also called upon during an uprising in 2009 over election fraud where dozens of protestors were eventually killed.

Meanwhile, thousands of Iranians took part in pro-government rallies in several cities on Wednesday morning.

The pro-government marchers waved Iranian flags and portraits of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei while shouting, “The blood in our veins is a gift to our leader [Khamenei],” and, “We will not leave our leader alone.”

The demonstrators also yelled anti-West slogans accusing the United States, Israel, and Britain of instigating the anti-government protests.

Several world leaders have reacted to the demonstrations in Iran as well as the government’s violent response.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran that “the world is watching,” adding the Iranian regime should “respect people’s rights.”

The Trump administration also said it was considering enforcing new sanctions against Tehran if it continues to “interfere with civilian protests,” presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday.

According to Conway, the new sanctions would be imposed for human rights violations and might target the IRGC.