According to Iran’s state-run media, the nation’s supreme leader said the U.S. and UK are not to blame for the post-election violence that took place after the election.
Ayatollah Khamenei told a group of University students “I don’t accuse the leaders of the recent incidents of being affiliated with foreign countries, including the United States and Britain, since the issue has not been proven for me.”
He added, “But there is no doubt that the events were planned, no matter whether their leaders knew it or not.”
The current president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and other official leaders previously made claims that the United State and Britain were “meddling” in affairs that were not of their concern, for which Ahmadinejad threatened repercussive action.
According to CNN, Iran’s intelligence minister Gholam-Hosein Mohseni Ejei accused Western powers for sparking protests. He believes the British Embassy in Tehran “played a heavy role in the recent disturbances” and the U.S. led the endeavor.
“The fact that Iran is stable, calm and secure, they’re upset with this,” Ejei told Iran’s Press TV.
Thousands of Iranian citizens took to the streets for two weeks after what was believed to be a fraudulent or fixed election of Ahmadinejad, who declared he won by a landslide.
Over 1,000 protestors were arrested and at least 30 people died in the post-election protests that often turned violent.
The current president’s opponent challenged the election results, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to acquire a re-vote. In early August, Ahmadinejad was sworn in for his second term.
Iranian officials have gone after a several protesters and have initiated mass trial for the individual demonstrators, including two French and British embassy employees and a French citizen.
According to Iranian officials, a groups of defendant have admitted to helping
the United States instigate the civil upheaval.
On Wednesday, Khamenei said Iran’s prosecutors should not use “rumors” as grounds for criminal implication, but should try them on hard evidence.
