The Secretary of the Islamic Republic’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has accused Saudi Arabia of stoking the fire of current widespread uprising in Iran.
Speaking to Lebanese Hezbollah-run TV Al-Mayadeen, Ali Shamkhani said Monday, January 2, ““Saudis are part of a network who have launched a war against Iran on the Internet,” he said, adding, “Based on our analyses, around 27 percent of the new hashtags against Iran are generated by the Saudi government”.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Rear Admiral and former minister of Defense (1997-2005), Shamkhani accused United Kingdom and US along with Saudi Arabia, noting that a large number of hashtags in relation with recent "riots" in Iran are generated in the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia.
“The Saudis will receive proper response from Iran. They’re well aware of the danger of our response,” Shamkhani warned.
Shamkhani was practically echoing comments already made and published by the IRGC’s news outlets, including Tasnim.
The 63-year old IRGC commander’s comments were aired by the Lebanese TV network at a time when popular social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter have long been filtered in Iran, while Telegram and Instagram were totally blocked on fourth day of protests.
Nevertheless, Shamkhani has maintained that #IranProtests is launched by Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman and implemented by Israeli and Western elements.
Describing the widespread protests as Saudi’s “cyberspace proxy war” against the Islamic Republic, Shamkhani has insisted, “The hashtags and social media campaigns cornering the situation in Iran are all in fact being guided by Saudi Arabia, U.K., Israel and US”.
Israel has already dismissed similar accusations as unfounded and imaginary. Reacting to a similar comment made by President Hassan Rouhani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that such remarks are fake and ridiculous.
Meanwhile, Shamkhani has affirmed that an exiled Iranian dissident group, Mujahedin Khalq Iran Organization, MKO is working in tandem with Riyadh to stoke the fire of recent uprising in Iran.
“Riyadh, by meddling in Iran and vainly trying to provoke the vigilant Iranians, cannot conceal its defeats in Yemen,” Shamkhani affirmed, adding, “Iran’s sensitivity to the Saudi interference is more than its sensitivity to the US’ and Donald Trump’s”.
However, the IRGC commander assured Al-Mayadeen’s audience by asserting, “What is happening in Iran will be over in a few days, and there is no reason to worry at all”.
Shamkhani remarked that the reason behind uprising in Iran is not political but, solely due to dissatisfaction over the economic situation.
“Economic problems do not exist only in Iran,’ he said, ‘There are also such problems in the US,” Shamkhani said, noting, “Economic problems in Iran are the result of war (Iran-Iraq 1980-1988), sanctions and poor management”.
