Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami has described the ongoing protests in Iran as a “major, premeditated conspiracy” involving Israel and the United States. He expressed support for the government of Masoud Pezeshkian.
In a statement, the prominent reformist politician said it would be “unfair to ignore the government’s civil conduct in the early days of the popular protests.” He added that remarks by Israeli officials and expressions of support from the United States left “no doubt about the formation of a major, premeditated conspiracy against Iran.”
Khatami did not refer to reports of protesters being killed by government forces. However, he said that “the entry of violence quickly changed the scene of formally recognising the nation’s right to protest,” a reference to the escalation of unrest.
His comments come amid continued demonstrations across Iran and sharply differing assessments by Iranian officials and critics over the causes of the protests and the government’s response.
