Iran’s Guard vows “no mercy” to protesters

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard anticipated the start of a general strike in most cities yesterday (Monday) and will continue until tomorrow (Wednesday), by threatening the protesters, saying that “the security forces will not show mercy to rioters, bandits and terrorists.” In a statement, he added, “Continuing to deal decisively and promptly with those accused of recent sabotage, terrorist and separatist acts has become a general demand and the judicial authority will take care of it.”

And most Iranian cities went on strike yesterday (Monday) as shops closed their doors in the wake of calls from protesters who want to overthrow the rule of the clergy, for a general strike across the country for a period of three days, according to Reuters.

Iran has been witnessing unrest in all parts of it since the death of the Iranian Kurdish young woman, Mahsa Amini, while she was being held by the “morality police” on September 16, which constituted one of the strongest challenges to the regime since 1979.

The “Photograph 1500” account, which has 380,000 followers on Twitter and focuses on the protests, showed video clips of closed shops in major commercial areas, such as the Bazaar in Tehran, and other large cities such as Karaj, Isfahan and Shiraz. Witnesses said that “riot police and Basij militia deployed heavily in central Tehran.”

The Iranian “Hengaw” human rights group stated that 19 cities joined the general strike movement in western Iran, where most of the Kurdish population lives, while the “Roj News” agency reported that the strike began in most cities of Iran. It quoted local sources from the city of Kermanshah as saying, “Traders and businessmen closed shops and the commercial market, and citizens and shop owners joined the general strike in Arak, Shiraz, Torez, Kazron, Kerman, and Sistan and Baluchistan in Iran.”

The semi-official Fars News Agency confirmed that the authorities closed a jewelry store owned by former Iranian soccer legend Ali Daei, following his decision to close during the three days of the general strike.