JAKARTA - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian people, whom he called "brave", had Washington's support.
"The United States supports the brave people of Iran," Rubio said via the X social media platform, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Saturday, January 10.
The statement was made amid ongoing protests in various parts of Iran. According to the Washington-based human rights group, 65 people were reported killed in the protests.
Of the number, 50 people were protesters, 14 others were law enforcement officers and security personnel, and one civilian affiliated with the government, reported the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Friday.
HRANA also reported that dozens of people were injured and 2,311 people were detained. The protest action is said to still be taking place in around 180 cities across the 31 provinces in the Middle Eastern country.
Most of the injured were reportedly hit by rubber bullets and plastic bullets. Until now, Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the number of deaths and injuries.
Iran has been experiencing a wave of protests since late December, triggered by the collapse of the Iranian rial exchange rate and the worsening economic conditions of the country.
The protest action started on December 28 around the Grand Bazaar of Tehran and then spread to a number of other cities.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was in "big trouble" as protests spread. He said Washington was continuing to monitor the situation and warned Iranian authorities not to use lethal force.
Meanwhile, Iran accused the US and Israel of being behind the efforts to trigger riots. A number of Iranian officials warned the security forces and the judicial institutions that they would not show tolerance towards the parties they called saboteurs.
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