Iran’s foreign minister blamed supposed Israeli spies for inciting “maximum bloodshed” during the deadly anti-regime protests, claiming it was all part of an elaborate plot to spark US military action.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, echoed conspiracy theories that foreign actors were behind the violence that erupted on Jan. 8 during protests that resulted in the brutal crackdowns and mass deaths, which ultimately triggered President Trump to make threats of military strikes on Iran.
“The purpose was clear: to drag the US into fighting another war on behalf of Israel,” Araghchi claimed Tuesday in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
The foreign minister said it was no coincidence that the violence began after Trump directly threatened to attack Iran if its security forces killed protesters, with Araghchi suggesting Israel seized the opportunity to push the US into action.
The foreign minister, however, provided no evidence for his claim, sharing only a social media post from former Trump CIA director Mike Pompeo, who was celebrating the protests and suggested Mossad agents were in the streets of Tehran.
There is no evidence that Israel, which supports the anti-regime protests, had its intelligence officers operating during the rallies.
Along with spreading the conspiracy theory, Araghchi claimed that the violence during the protests lasted “less than 72 hours” — despite reports indicating that the chaos went on for nearly an entire week.
The foreign minister also said that the violence was a direct response to armed groups who allegedly attacked Iran’s security forces during the protests.
“Gunfire targeted police and civilians alike. Officers were shot, burned and even beheaded,” he added.
He went on to claim that the majority of those killed were police officers and civilians at the hands of violent “rioters.” Araghchi also asserted that only “hundreds” were killed in the violence.
Araghchi’s estimates are far off from the numbers being verified by human rights groups, with the current death toll at 4,519 people, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The HRANA’s count includes 4,251 protesters, 197 security personnel, 35 people aged under 18 and 38 bystanders.
The exact death toll has remained hard to independently verify due to the nationwide communications blackout in Iran.
Araghchi justified the blackout as a means to stop “foreign and domestic terrorist actors” from meddling in the country.
Despite reports of heavily armed militias engaging in combat across Tehran on Tuesday, Araghchi claimed that a calm has settled in the nation.
The diplomat also issued his most direct threat to the US yet, warning that the Islamic Republic will fire “back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”
