Caracas [Venezuela] January 11 : Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Sunday expressed strong support for protesters in Iran, praising their continued demonstrations against the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a post on X, Machado said, "My deepest respect to the brave people of Iran who, at this hour, continue protesting in the streets of more than 100 cities in that country, despite the brutal repression they face."
She said Iranians were rejecting years of hardship under an authoritarian system, adding, "Iranians reject the hunger and oppression to which they have been subjected for years by an authoritarian regime, a regime that infiltrated Latin America to associate with criminal systems like chavismo in Venezuela."
Machado's remarks come at a time when Venezuela itself is facing an unprecedented political moment following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro by the United States.
https://x.com/MariaCorinaYA/status/2010355348410884533
Machado is scheduled to travel to Washington next week, where US President Donald Trump has indicated he expects to meet her. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said, "I understand she's coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her, and I've heard that she wants to do that."
Further, Machado also linked the developments in Venezuela with the protests unfolding in Iran. She said, "Today, when Maduro has been forced to face justice, and when the people of Iran challenge the brutality of an authoritarian regime--which also believed itself eternal--and its allies, our two nations are paving the way to freely decide their future, far from all coercion and violence."
She added, "All my strength and support in these hours, and my solidarity to the families of the fallen heroes. Our hour is approaching. Very soon, the people of Iran and Venezuela will be free."
Meanwhile, protests in Iran have intensified over the past two weeks. At least 420 protesters, including eight children, have been killed during demonstrations over the last 15 days, CNN reported, citing Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA).
The protests began on December 28 with demonstrations in Tehran's bazaars over high inflation and have since spread to more than 180 cities across the country, as per CNN.
International leaders have increasingly spoken out on the situation. Pope Leo, addressing crowds at the Vatican after his Angelus prayer, said he was praying for peace in Iran.
He said, "My thoughts turn to what is happening these days in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the death of many people."
"I hope and pray that dialogue and peace will be patiently cultivated, pursuing the common good of the whole society."
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also urged Iranian authorities to avoid violence, posting on X, "Aggression must stop. We call for the release of all unjustly detained demonstrators."
Ireland's Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said she was "deeply concerned" by reports from Iran, stressing that "Freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and access to information must be fully respected." She also called on Iranian authorities to refrain from further violence and to engage with demonstrators.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Israel supports the Iranian people, stating on X that, "we support the Iranian people's struggle for freedom and wish them success"
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it is closely monitoring developments in Iran as the protests enter their third week. "The protests are an internal Iranian matter. Nevertheless, the IDF is prepared defensively and is continuously improving its capabilities and operational readiness," an IDF spokesperson said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also expected to hold a limited security consultation later on Sunday, with developments in Iran and Lebanon on the agenda, CNN reported.
Amid the unrest, US officials told CNN that President Trump is weighing several military options in Iran following deadly protests, after warning Tehran against using lethal force on demonstrators.
Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad said legal action against protesters would be strict. According to Tasnim news agency, he said proceedings would be carried out "without leniency, mercy or appeasement." "The charges against all rioters are the same," he said.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged citizens not to join what he described as violent unrest. In a televised address, he said there was a clear difference between peaceful protest and violence.
"If the people have concerns, it is our duty to resolve their concerns, but the higher duty is that we must not allow a group of rioters to come and disrupt the entire society," he said.
Pezeshkian added, "What kind of protest is this? What kind of message is this, creating hatred in the hearts of people?"
He further said, "America and Israel are sitting there and telling them to go and (saying) 'we are behind you'.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday told US President Donald Trump to "manage his own country" instead of commenting on Iran's internal affairs.
In a message posted on X, Khamenei accused the US President of encouraging unrest in Iran while failing to address serious problems at home.
"The President of the United States declared that if the Iranian government did this or that, he would side with the rioters. The rioters have placed their hopes in him. If he is so competent, let him manage his own country then," Khamenei wrote.