White House Calls on Iran’s Regime to End Use of Violence Against Protesters

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. EPA
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. EPA
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White House Calls on Iran’s Regime to End Use of Violence Against Protesters

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. EPA
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. EPA

The White House has said that the United States stands with the people of Iran, stressing they should have the right to freedom of expression, and calling on the Iranian regime to “end its use of violence against its own citizens.”

“We stand with all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery, and we will continue to stand with them,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.

“Women and men in Iran should have the right to freedom of expression and assembly. Women should be able to wear what they want, free from violence or harassment.”

“Iran must end its use of violence against its own citizens simply for exercising their fundamental freedoms, their fundamental rights,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.

She said the US will continue to take action to hold Iranian officials accountable and support the rights of Iranians to protest freely.

She added that Washington will “be imposing further costs on those perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters.”

Demonstrators have been protesting for the past three weeks against Iran's government after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iranian Kurdistan, who was arrested on Sept. 13 in Tehran for "unsuitable attire" by the morality police and died in custody.



Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced he intends to visit Tehran through a letter he addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Mehr Agency reported that Grossi sent a congratulatory message to the Iranian president-elect, which stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your election win as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the focal attention of the international circles for many years. I am confident that, together, we will be able to make decisive progress on this crucial matter.”

“To that effect, I wish to express my readiness to travel to Iran to meet with you at the earliest convenience,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Grossi as saying.

The meeting – should it take place - will be the first for Pezeshkian, who had pledged during his election campaign to be open to the West to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Last week, American and Israeli officials told the Axios news site that Washington sent a secret warning to Tehran last month regarding its fears of Iranian research and development activities that might be used to produce nuclear weapons.

In May, Grossi expressed his dissatisfaction with the course of the talks he held over two days in Iran in an effort to resolve outstanding matters.

Since the death of the former Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the IAEA chief refrained from raising the Iranian nuclear file, while European sources said that Tehran had asked to “freeze discussions” until the internal situation was arranged and a new president was elected.