Following weeks of widespread unrest sparked by economic grievances and evolving into a direct challenge to the ruling clerical government,protests in Iran appear to have been largely suppressed by security forces. International pressure is mounting on Tehran, with Austria signaling support for potential sanctions amid reports of over 2,600 deaths and 19,000 arrests [[1]]. As the situation stabilizes internally, diplomatic efforts are underway – including a potential mediation offer from Russia – and observers note increasing external involvement, with reports of foreign militia support for the Iranian government [[2]].
Protests against Iran’s clerical government appear to have been suppressed, as Austria signaled its support for sanctions against Tehran. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to mediate the ongoing conflict.
Iranian security forces have largely quelled the widespread protests that gripped the nation in recent weeks, according to reports from the Iranian-Kurdish human rights group Hengaw, based in Norway. The group stated that no protest gatherings have been reported since Sunday, though the security situation remains “very restrictive.”
Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker announced on Friday that Vienna would support all measures, including sanctions, against Tehran. The move comes as international pressure mounts on the Iranian government over its handling of the demonstrations.
Stocker, following a meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Vienna, strongly condemned “the unprecedented violence of the Iranian regime.” Metsola expressed her “horror” at the extent of the deadly force used against protesters.
While demonstrations have been stifled within Iran, protests continue abroad. Several smaller rallies and a larger demonstration are planned in Vienna this weekend. Police anticipate around 2,000 participants at the “Stop the Dictatorship in Iran!” march on Sunday, which will proceed from Heldenplatz to the Iranian Embassy via Michaelerplatz and Schwarzenbergplatz. Amnesty Austria held a vigil with a sea of lights outside the embassy on Thursday evening.
Andreas Schieder, leader of the SPÖ EU delegation, stated at a solidarity demonstration organized by SPÖ Wien-Döbling on Friday that the world is watching the courageous people of Iran. “They should know they are not alone. Europe firmly stands with them and is ready to support them,” he said. SPÖ MEP Evelyn Regner emphasized that human rights “must apply everywhere, always.”
The Green Party has called for the immediate expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and other officials representing the regime. “There can be no diplomatic normalcy with an Islamist terror regime that is mass murdering its own population,” said foreign policy spokesperson Meri Disoski.
Amidst the crackdown, Russian President Vladimir Putin has positioned himself as a potential mediator. According to the Kremlin, Putin spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Putin advocated for political and diplomatic solutions to ensure peace and stability in the region, a statement widely interpreted as a critique of potential military action by the United States and Israel in support of the protest movement.
On Friday, former US President Donald Trump thanked Iranian leadership for calling off planned executions of protesters. “I have great respect for the fact that all of the executions scheduled to take place yesterday by the hangman (over 800) were canceled by the leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, concluding with “Thank you!”
Trump had repeatedly threatened military intervention in Iran over the past two weeks to aid the demonstrators. He has recently refrained from discussing military intervention, stating on Wednesday that he learned from a “reliable source” that “the killings in Iran are stopping.”
Trump also dismissed suggestions from the Gulf region that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman had dissuaded him from attacking Iran. He asserted that it was Iran’s actions, specifically the cancellation of executions, that influenced his decision. “Nobody convinced me – I convinced myself,” he told reporters as he left the White House for a weekend in Florida. “They didn’t hang anyone. They canceled the executions. That had a big impact.”
Residents of Tehran report that the situation in the capital is now calm, although isolated unrest may continue in other parts of the country. The state-run news agency TASNIM reported that vandals set fire to an education authority office in the Isfahan province.
According to the US-based human rights group HRANA, 2,677 people have been killed in the unrest so far, with over 19,000 arrests made, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry added in Berlin. These figures remain unverified. An Iranian official earlier this week reported approximately 2,000 deaths.
Reports indicate that foreign militias were involved in the violent suppression of the protests. A security source reported observing movements of Shiite militias from Lebanon leaving the country over the past ten days, initially traveling to Iraq for pilgrimage to key Shiite Islamic holy sites.
CNN reported on Thursday, citing a source in Iraq, that nearly 5,000 fighters from various militant groups had traveled to Iran in recent weeks to support the government. A European military source told CNN the number was around 800 Shiite fighters.
These fighters are reportedly affiliated with groups within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), an influential network formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State (IS) and now playing a significant political and military role in Iraq. The Lebanese fighters are believed to be affiliated with the Hezbollah Shiite militia.
Internet access in Iran remains restricted, obscuring the full extent of state violence more than a week after the blockade began. The roughly 90 million residents are experiencing significant disruptions to daily life, including issues with online banking, according to a man in Tehran. While international calls from Iran were restored on Tuesday, incoming calls are still blocked, and those calls that are possible are expensive and potentially monitored, further limiting communication. It is unclear when the restrictions will be lifted.
The Iranian government blames foreign adversaries for inciting the unrest, which began on December 28th over high inflation and has evolved into one of the most significant challenges to the country’s clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (APA/Reuters)
