Kiongozi Mkuu wa Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, kwa mara ya kwanza ameweka wazi hadharani kuwa maelfu ya watu waliuawa wakati wa maandamano ya hivi karibuni nchini humo.
Akizungumza katika hotuba yake siku ya Jumamosi, Khamenei alisema maelfu waliuawa, “baadhi yao kwa njia zisizo za kibinadamu na za kikatili,” huku akiilaumu Marekani kwa vifo hivyo.
Kwa mujibu wa Shirika la Wanaharakati wa Haki za Binadamu wa Iran lenye makao yake Marekani (HRANA), mwitikio wa kikatili wa vyombo vya dola dhidi ya maandamano umesababisha vifo vya watu 3,090, huku makundi mengine ya wanaharakati yakidai idadi ya vifo ni kubwa zaidi. Hali ya kukatika kwa huduma ya intaneti nchini Iran imefanya iwe vigumu kupata taarifa sahihi kuhusu kinachoendelea.
Hivi karibuni Rais wa Marekani, Donald Trump, aliwahimiza waandamanaji wa Iran “kuendelea kuandamana” na kutishia kuchukua hatua za kijeshi iwapo majeshi ya usalama yataendelea kuwaua raia.
Waandamanaji wamekabiliwa na nguvu ya kijeshi, na video zinazoonyesha vikosi vya usalama vikifyatua risasi kwa waandamanaji zimethibitishwa na BBC Persian na BBC Verify.
Aidha, kumekuwepo na kusitishwa karibu kabisa kwa huduma za intaneti na mawasiliano. Kufikia Jumamosi, kiwango cha mawasiliano kilikuwa karibu asilimia 2 tu ya hali ya kawaida, kulingana na taasisi ya NetBlocks inayofuatilia hali ya mtandao.
Ingawa ripoti za vurugu zimepungua siku za karibuni, hali halisi bado haijulikani kutokana na vikwazo vya intaneti. Mwanamke mmoja mjini Shiraz, kusini-magharibi mwa Iran, aliiambia BBC Persian kuwa “vikosi vya usalama bado vinazunguka kwa pikipiki kudhibiti hali, lakini kwa ujumla mambo yamerudi kawaida.”
Katika hotuba hiyo hiyo, Khamenei alimuita Rais Trump “mhalifu” na kusema Marekani inapaswa “kuwajibishwa” kwa machafuko ya hivi karibuni. Pia alidai kupitia mitandao ya kijamii kuwa “lengo la Marekani ni kuimeza Iran.”
Rais Trump bado hajajibu kauli hiyo, huku BBC ikisema imewasiliana na Ikulu ya White House kuomba maoni.
Kwa upande wake, Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje ya Marekani ilisema Jumamosi kuwa imepokea taarifa kuwa Iran inaandaa mipango ya kushambulia kambi za kijeshi za Marekani. Ilionya kuwa Iran itakabiliwa na “nguvu kubwa sana” iwapo itatekeleza shambulio lolote, na kuionya Tehran isijaribu “kuchezea Rais Trump.”
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Iran's supreme leader has for the first time publicly acknowledged that thousands of people were killed during recent protests.
In a speech on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said thousands had been killed, "some in an inhuman, savage manner", and blamed the US for the deaths.
A violent response to the unrest has claimed 3,090 lives, according to US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), with some activist groups putting the death toll far higher. An internet blackout has made it extremely difficult to get clear information.
US President Donald Trump recently urged Iranian demonstrators to "keep protesting" and threatened military intervention if security forces kill them.
"Those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand," Khamenei said, quoted by Iranian state media.
"We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation."
The protests, which began on 28 December over the economy, have turned into calls for the end of the rule of Iran's supreme leader.
The Iranian government has called the demonstrations "riots" backed by Iran's enemies.
Protesters have been met with deadly force and videos of security forces shooting at demonstrations have been authenticated by both BBC Persian and BBC Verify.
There has also been a near-total shutdown of the internet and communication services in Iran. On Saturday overall connectivity remained at about 2% of ordinary levels, according to cyber monitor NetBlocks.
There have been fewer reports of unrest in recent days but with internet access still restricted developments on the ground remain unclear.
A woman in Shiraz, south-western Iran, told BBC Persian that "security forces are still patrolling on motorbikes to keep the situation under control, but overall things have gone back to normal".
During his speech on Saturday, Khamenei also said Iran considered President Trump to be a "criminal" and said the US must be "held accountable" for recent unrest.
He also claimed on social media that "America's goal is to swallow Iran".
Trump has not yet responded to the supreme leader and the BBC has approached the White House for a comment.
The US state department said on Saturday that it had "heard reports that the Islamic Republic is preparing options to target American bases".
It said Iran would be met with "a very, very powerful force" if it launched such an attack and warned Tehran not to "play games with President Trump".
The US president said on Wednesday he had been told "the killing in Iran has stopped", but added that he had not ruled out military action against the country.
His comments came after the US and UK both reduced the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar.
Officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that a partial American withdrawal was a "precautionary measure".
Source: BBC
Akizungumza katika hotuba yake siku ya Jumamosi, Khamenei alisema maelfu waliuawa, “baadhi yao kwa njia zisizo za kibinadamu na za kikatili,” huku akiilaumu Marekani kwa vifo hivyo.
Kwa mujibu wa Shirika la Wanaharakati wa Haki za Binadamu wa Iran lenye makao yake Marekani (HRANA), mwitikio wa kikatili wa vyombo vya dola dhidi ya maandamano umesababisha vifo vya watu 3,090, huku makundi mengine ya wanaharakati yakidai idadi ya vifo ni kubwa zaidi. Hali ya kukatika kwa huduma ya intaneti nchini Iran imefanya iwe vigumu kupata taarifa sahihi kuhusu kinachoendelea.
Hivi karibuni Rais wa Marekani, Donald Trump, aliwahimiza waandamanaji wa Iran “kuendelea kuandamana” na kutishia kuchukua hatua za kijeshi iwapo majeshi ya usalama yataendelea kuwaua raia.
Waandamanaji wamekabiliwa na nguvu ya kijeshi, na video zinazoonyesha vikosi vya usalama vikifyatua risasi kwa waandamanaji zimethibitishwa na BBC Persian na BBC Verify.
Aidha, kumekuwepo na kusitishwa karibu kabisa kwa huduma za intaneti na mawasiliano. Kufikia Jumamosi, kiwango cha mawasiliano kilikuwa karibu asilimia 2 tu ya hali ya kawaida, kulingana na taasisi ya NetBlocks inayofuatilia hali ya mtandao.
Ingawa ripoti za vurugu zimepungua siku za karibuni, hali halisi bado haijulikani kutokana na vikwazo vya intaneti. Mwanamke mmoja mjini Shiraz, kusini-magharibi mwa Iran, aliiambia BBC Persian kuwa “vikosi vya usalama bado vinazunguka kwa pikipiki kudhibiti hali, lakini kwa ujumla mambo yamerudi kawaida.”
Katika hotuba hiyo hiyo, Khamenei alimuita Rais Trump “mhalifu” na kusema Marekani inapaswa “kuwajibishwa” kwa machafuko ya hivi karibuni. Pia alidai kupitia mitandao ya kijamii kuwa “lengo la Marekani ni kuimeza Iran.”
Rais Trump bado hajajibu kauli hiyo, huku BBC ikisema imewasiliana na Ikulu ya White House kuomba maoni.
Kwa upande wake, Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje ya Marekani ilisema Jumamosi kuwa imepokea taarifa kuwa Iran inaandaa mipango ya kushambulia kambi za kijeshi za Marekani. Ilionya kuwa Iran itakabiliwa na “nguvu kubwa sana” iwapo itatekeleza shambulio lolote, na kuionya Tehran isijaribu “kuchezea Rais Trump.”
Iran's supreme leader has for the first time publicly acknowledged that thousands of people were killed during recent protests.
In a speech on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said thousands had been killed, "some in an inhuman, savage manner", and blamed the US for the deaths.
A violent response to the unrest has claimed 3,090 lives, according to US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), with some activist groups putting the death toll far higher. An internet blackout has made it extremely difficult to get clear information.
US President Donald Trump recently urged Iranian demonstrators to "keep protesting" and threatened military intervention if security forces kill them.
"Those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand," Khamenei said, quoted by Iranian state media.
"We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation."
The protests, which began on 28 December over the economy, have turned into calls for the end of the rule of Iran's supreme leader.
The Iranian government has called the demonstrations "riots" backed by Iran's enemies.
Protesters have been met with deadly force and videos of security forces shooting at demonstrations have been authenticated by both BBC Persian and BBC Verify.
There has also been a near-total shutdown of the internet and communication services in Iran. On Saturday overall connectivity remained at about 2% of ordinary levels, according to cyber monitor NetBlocks.
There have been fewer reports of unrest in recent days but with internet access still restricted developments on the ground remain unclear.
A woman in Shiraz, south-western Iran, told BBC Persian that "security forces are still patrolling on motorbikes to keep the situation under control, but overall things have gone back to normal".
During his speech on Saturday, Khamenei also said Iran considered President Trump to be a "criminal" and said the US must be "held accountable" for recent unrest.
He also claimed on social media that "America's goal is to swallow Iran".
Trump has not yet responded to the supreme leader and the BBC has approached the White House for a comment.
The US state department said on Saturday that it had "heard reports that the Islamic Republic is preparing options to target American bases".
It said Iran would be met with "a very, very powerful force" if it launched such an attack and warned Tehran not to "play games with President Trump".
The US president said on Wednesday he had been told "the killing in Iran has stopped", but added that he had not ruled out military action against the country.
His comments came after the US and UK both reduced the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar.
Officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that a partial American withdrawal was a "precautionary measure".
Source: BBC