Iran accused Western leaders of trying to violate its sovereignty by claiming to support protesters over the death of a young woman who had been detained by the country's morality police.
In the recent riots, the political leaders of America and Europe, their media exploited a tragic incident under investigation and supported the rights of the Iranian nation, according to an Instagram statement by an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman. They did all they could to support the riots. Nasser Kanani'sKanani's post said that attempts to violate Iran's sovereignty will not go unanswered.
The warning came amid widespread protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, and increasing international support for the demonstrations demanding greater freedoms and women's rights.
On Friday, the Treasury Department issued guidance on expanding the range of internet services available to Iranians despite U.S. sanctions on the country.
The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Iran should immediately stop the violent crackdown on protests and ensure internet access. He also called for information about the number of killed and arrested people, and an investigation into the killing of Mahsa Amini. The protests have blossomed into anti-government rallies across the country, drawing crowds onto the streets and calling for a nationwide strike on Monday and Wednesday.
Women in Iran have protested the country's mandatory dress codes, with videos posted online showing women burning their hijabs and cutting their hair on public streets.
Amini died on September 16 after falling ill and slipping into a coma days earlier, as she waited for other women held by the morality police, which enforces the Islamic Republic's strict rules requiring women to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes in public.
Officials said she died from a pre-existing condition and had a heart attack, and that an investigation is underway. Her family denies she had a pre-existing condition and says witnesses told them she had been beaten by police.
The protests beyond Iran took place over the weekend, with rallies in cities across Europe and the U.S. in support of the protesters. There were violent clashes between police and protesters outside the Iranian Embassy in London on Sunday.
The country's morality police and seven security officials were sanctioned by the Treasury Department on Thursday.
Kanani's tough talk came a day after Tehran summoned the British and Norwegian ambassadors over what it labeled as hostile media coverage by U.K. based Persian outlets and interference by Norwegian parliament speaker Masud Gharahkhani, who spoke of support for the protesters, according to Reuters.
The death toll from the ongoing protests has gone up to 41, according to the latest available figures released by state-controlled IRINN television on Sunday. This report hasn't been confirmed by NBC News.
As authorities continue to block access to the internet in parts of the country, death, arrest figures and injuries are hard to ascertain. Hengaw told NBC News that the internet continues to be limited in Kurdistan, citing local sources.
Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East program at the Wilson Center, said Iranian authorities would deploy whatever force needed to quell the unrest.
The regime feels threatened, and we know from previous occasions that it is willing to use any means to end such protests, Esfandiari said.
She said that the protests pose a real threat in the sense that they make clear that a majority of the people have reached the end of their patience and no longer are willing to put up with the kind of government they have been subject to.