Iran’s most influential military commander on Wednesday declared the wave of anti-regime protests rocking nation as over, despite reports that demonstrators continue to fill the streets in more than a dozen cities.
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), also said those who’ve participated in the rallies were guilty of “sedition,” according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.
“Now we can say that it is the day when the 1396 sedition ended,” the general said, in reference to the current year in the Persian calendar.
His remarks coincided with reports that elite IRGC troops had been deployed to at least three provinces to put down the rallies that have swept Iran since last week — featuring calls by some protesters for the ouster of the nation’s government.
There were also reports Wednesday that the IRGC action coincided with with a wave of counter-demonstrations that saw large pro-regime rallies held in several cities. The Associated Press reported that tens of thousands of government supporters were taking to the streets across the nation.
But even as state television broadcast swooping helicopter shots showing support among Iran’s 80 million people for its theocratically-run government, other videos emerged showing the anti-government unrest that has swept major cities has also spread to the countryside.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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