Iran's ambassador comments on reports of 32,000 deaths during protests

Reports of 32,000 deaths during protests in Iran are false and are part of a hybrid war against the Islamic Republic, Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mojtaba Damirchilou said in an exclusive interview with Baku TV Editor-in-Chief Turan Ibrahimov, Report informs.

According to him, the hybrid war against Iran has been waged since June of last year.

"The first stage of this hybrid war was a direct military attack, which lasted 12 days," the diplomat noted.

He claims that the US and Israel, under the guise of protecting the participants in the recent protests in Iran, were planning an attack on the Islamic Republic.

"They wanted to strike and destroy Iran's political structure," the ambassador said.

The diplomat then spoke about the protests, which began against the backdrop of the country's economic situation. According to him, bazaars in Iran traditionally play a significant role in political, economic, cultural, and even religious life.

"In Tehran, Tabriz, and Shiraz, when you visit bazaars, you see large schools and mosques nearby. The same situation is in Isfahan. Why? Because they were built by people actively involved in economic life. The latest protests began in the bazaar, and President Masoud Pezeshkian negotiated with the merchants and reached an agreement," he noted.

Mojtaba Damirchilou also linked the subsequent protests to calls by the son of Iran's last Shah, Reza Pahlavi. However, the ambassador acknowledged that the armed clashes were orchestrated by certain individuals within the country.

"There were traitors, as well as terrorists who arrived in Iran from abroad," the diplomat said.

Responding to Ibrahimov's question about a possible failure by the Iranian security services, the ambassador noted that clashes between police and protesters occurred during the protests.