{"id":33835,"date":"2026-01-15T00:02:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investmentbankingrules.com\/?p=33835"},"modified":"2026-01-15T00:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:02:21","slug":"top-iranian-official-downplays-death-toll-blames-israeli-plot-as-us-considers-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investmentbankingrules.com\/?p=33835","title":{"rendered":"Top Iranian official downplays death toll, blames \u2018Israeli plot\u2019 as US considers strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected claims of mass casualties amid a recent surge in protests within the Islamic country and blamed any killings that have taken place on an \u2018Israeli plot\u2019 intended to create a large number of casualties.\u00a0
\nThe claim came during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News\u2019 \u2018Special Report with Brett Baier\u2019 Wednesday evening, during which Araghchi was told estimates have indicated the death toll in his country could be anywhere between 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters. But, according to the top Iranian official, the number is in the hundreds.\u00a0
\n\u2018When terrorist elements led from outside, entered this, you know, protests and started to shoot, you know, police forces, police officers and security forces. And there were terrorist cells. They came in, they used Daesh-style terrorist operations. They got police officers, burned them alive, they beheaded them, and they started shooting at police officers and also to the people. So as a result, for three days, we had, in fact, fighting against terrorists, and not with the protesters,\u2019 Araghchi said. \u2018It was completely a different story.\u2019<\/p>\n

According to Araghchi, these rogue, terrorist-like actors he spoke of started shooting at civilians for \u2018one reason,\u2019 which he said was to draw the United States into the conflict.\u00a0
\n\u2018They wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump has said that if there are killings, he would intervene. And they wanted to drag him into this conflict,\u2019 the Iranian Foreign Minister continued. \u2018And that was exactly an Israeli plot. They started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers, by starting a kind of, you know, fighting inside the different cities.\u2019
\nIran has seen widespread unrest since the last week of December, as the country faces a massive economic crash that spurred many in Iran to take to the streets in protest.
\n\u00a0
\nContrary to Araghchi\u2019s claims are eyewitness reports that describe government forces in Iran firing upon unarmed protesters. Some even spoke of snipers taking aim at innocent Iranians, according to testimony shared with the New York Times.
\nDuring Baier\u2019s interview with Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister, Araghchi also insisted that there are no imminent plans to hang, or otherwise execute, protesters. The top Iranian official tried to downplay the unrest erupting in his country as well, arguing there is now \u2018a calm.\u2019 \u00a0 \u00a0
\n\u2018We are in full control,\u2019 Araghchi added. \u2018And let\u2019s, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don\u2019t go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody.\u2019<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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