Washington DC [US], January 10 : Protests in Iran entered the thirteenth day on Friday, evolving from demonstrations over rising living costs into a nationwide movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution.
Now, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come out in support of the Iranian protestors. In a post on X, Rubio said, "The United States supports the brave people of Iran."
The statement follows US President Donald Trump who said on Friday that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts.
"Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen," Trump said.
Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who is living in exile, on Saturday called on Iranians working in economic sectors to strike work and to move to occupy the centre of Tehran. Pahlavi voiced support for protesters across the country, praising continued demonstrations against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ruling establishment.
"I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors--especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy--to begin the process of nationwide strikes. Furthermore, I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 9 and 10/Day 20 and 21), starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said.
"To achieve this objective, move toward the central parts of cities from as many different routes as possible and merge separate crowds together. At the same time, prepare yourselves from this moment to remain in the streets and secure the necessary provisions. To the youth of the "Immortal Guard" of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before, so that on the appointed day, we may disable it entirely." he added.
Earlier, in a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union lauded the bravery displayed by the citizens of Iran and condemned the reported crackdown by the regime.
"We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," the statement read.
The nations called on Iranian government to end the use of aggressive force against the protesters and preserve their right to freedom of expression.