Iranian authorities assert country is calm and terrorists have been neutralized

Iran, Jan 17. - Calm has reigned in Iran since Thursday night, Iranian authorities stated in declarations to public television.

The pro-government marches this past Monday drove the final nail into the terrorists' coffin, asserted Police Chief Ahmadreza Radan, who described the pro-authority gathering on the past 12th in Tehran and other cities as a "decisive weapon of the Islamic Republic."

The gatherings of tens of thousands of people in Revolution Square in the metropolitan center and other cities were convened late last week amid continuing protests over the fall of the rial, the Iranian currency, and galloping inflation that began peacefully at the start of the month but later turned violent, resulting in acts of vandalism against government buildings and private establishments.

In that context, U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged protesters to take over official headquarters to overthrow the government, mentioned a possible armed intervention by his country, and praised the actions of agents from Mossad, Israeli intelligence, the United States, and "other countries," which he did not identify, in instigating street violence.

For its part, the government blocked access to the internet, a measure still in force, and the highest authorities, from the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned of retaliation if Washington launched a large-scale military operation against the Islamic Republic; Arab countries said they would not allow the use of Washington's bases on their territories against Iran. (Text and Photo: Cubadebate)