Iran has launched a deadly cross-border airstrike in northern Iraq to punish the Kurds for their role in supporting demonstrations over the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman in Iranian police custody that are still shaking the Tehran regime.
Iranian drone strikes on military bases in northern Iraq owned by the exiled Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran killed 13 and wounded 58.
The KDPI said in a statement: “The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have attacked the bases and headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iran with missiles and drones.”
Iran said it was attacking terrorist bases, while the US called the attacks brazen.
The attack came as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the nation to express his regret over the death of Mahsa Amini two weeks ago, but also to accuse the protesters of being agents of foreign powers.
“The enemy has targeted national unity and wants to pit the people against each other,” the ultra-conservative president said.
Raisi said Iran will not tolerate “chaos and unrest” but also said there could be “dialogue” about “different methods of applying the law” – a possible reference to Iran’s morality police’s strict enforcement of mandatory hijab.
It was the first time Raisi addressed the street protests directly on national television, but his mention of dialogue is unlikely to reassure an assertive young generation of Iranians who have lost faith in the older clerical establishment – especially since it was the uncompromising president , who ordered a stricter application of hijab laws earlier this summer.
Activists in Iran told the Guardian on condition of anonymity: “Our confidence is growing. Despite the arrests, we are not backing down. It is very nice. There is a belief that something will change this time.”
Lawyers working for Amini’s family have filed a formal complaint against those responsible for her arrest, despite pressure from the regime. They called for a detailed independent investigation into her death, including how she was arrested and hospitalized, as well as photos and videos of the arrest and any brain scans.
Amini, now a symbol of resistance to the regime, died in police custody after being arrested by Tehran’s Vice Police for not wearing a proper hijab.
The CPDI called on its supporters in Iran to return to the streets and its London spokesman said: “Support for these demonstrations is growing. This started with a Kurdish woman wearing the headscarf, but it’s a bit broader now in over 100 cities. The chant in the streets is: “Death to the regime. Death to the dictator.’”
Reports on the number of deaths during the protests vary; Oslo-based human rights group Iran Human Rights said the number was at least 76, while Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency put the number at “around 60,” including several members of Iran’s security forces.
The regime will be desperate to ensure the protests do not spread to more working-class neighborhoods, and will likely portray the protesters as anti-patriotic liberals at odds with the regime’s values.
Iranian police said on Wednesday they would counter protests “with all their might”. However, the country’s women’s affairs minister, Ensieh Khazali, said she has visited arrested women in prison and is seeking the release of those found not to be guilty of serious crimes.
The UN said its secretary-general, António Guterres, had urged Raisi not to use “disproportionate force” against protesters.
“We are increasingly concerned by reports of rising deaths, including women and children, linked to the protests,” UN chief spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
Iran has shut down the internet to prevent protesters from using social media to update the outside world on the extent of the repression. Up to 20 reporters have been arrested and newspapers are increasingly following the government line that the protests are being manipulated by Saudi Arabian or Western media. Some newspapers are staging debates about whether compulsory hijab is required by Sharia law.
The regime also claims that the Western reaction followed what it saw as a successful performance by Raisi at the UN General Assembly in New York. But the regime is suffering from the persistence of the demonstrations and the willingness of prominent Iranians, including musicians, actors, sports stars and academics, to demand that the voice of young Iranians be respected.
Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, an award-winning actor, appeared without a headscarf to speak at the funeral of fellow actor Amin Tariokh. Iranian soccer coach and ex-player Ali Karimi also supported the demonstrations, as did composer Hossein Alizadeh.
In the UK, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the dual British-Iranian citizen who spent five years in an Iranian prison, cut her hair for BBC Persian cameras to show her solidarity with the protests in Iran.
The companies said the prolonged internet shutdown was hurting business.
On Tuesday, authorities in Iran arrested the daughter of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for “inciting riots,” Tasnim news agency reported. They have also threatened celebrities and soccer stars who have supported the protesters.