Tuesday 4 October 2022 01:12 AM Biden condemns Iran's violent crackdown on protesters, warning of 'further ... trends now
President Joe Biden said Monday that the United States will place 'further costs' on Iran in response to the violent crackdown against 'peaceful protestors' in the country.
He vowed to hold the country's religious vice squad accountable for its treatment of women and protesters.
'The United States is also holding accountable Iranian officials and entities, such as the Morality Police, that are responsible for employing violence to suppress civil society,' Biden said in a statement.
'This week, the United States will be imposing further costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protestors. We will continue holding Iranian officials accountable and supporting the rights of Iranians to protest freely,' he added.
Biden said he is 'gravely concerned about reports of the intensifying violent crackdown on peaceful protestors in Iran, including students and women, who are demanding their equal rights and basic human dignity.'
'The United States stands with Iranian women and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery.'
Protests have sparked up around the world in support of Iran - above women in Montpellier, France, show their support
In Tehran in September, dozens of people stage a demonstration to protest Mahsa Amini's death
People run during clashes with riot police as students protest following the death of death of Mahsa Amini, in Tehran
President Biden will place 'further costs' on Iran in response to the violent crackdown against 'peaceful protestors' in the country
Widespread street demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died following her detention by morality police for allegedly breaching the country's strict Islamic dress code, are in their third week.
They have grown into an open challenge to the Iranian leadership, with women burning their state-mandated headscarves and chants of 'Death to the dictator,' echoing from streets and balconies after dark.
Biden gave no indication of what measures he was considering.
Iran is already under crippling US economic sanctions largely related to its controversial nuclear program which Tehran insists has only civilian purposes but the international community suspects is secretly aimed at building an atomic weapon.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday said the United States and Israel are fomenting the unrest.
He broke weeks of silence to condemn what he called 'rioting' in the streets.
