No mercy against hostile protests, says Iranian President

Tehran: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his government will not show any mercy towards "hostile" opponents of the Islamic Republic. Speaking to a crowd in the capital city, he called the protestors "hypocrites, monarchists, and anti-revolutionary currents."

Speaking at the funeral procession for unidentified soldiers who perished during its eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s, Raisi said the "embrace of the nation is open to all those who were lured." He added: "But we will show no mercy to those who are hostile," reported AFP.

Iranian officials have been accusing foreign powers including the US and European Nations of stoking the unrest. Raisi said they aim to derail the Islamic society from its high goals by spreading rumours and fracturing society. He added that these foreign countries are wrong to think that they can achieve these goals and that their moves are miscalculated.

Iran has been seeing protests for over 100 days which were sparked by 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's custody death after she was arrested over an alleged breach of dress code. The government generally refers to these protests as "riots" and has been responding with force.

The government executed two people in December in connection with the protests. Nine others have been sentenced to death and two of them have been allowed retrials. Foreign-based rights groups say a dozen other protesters have been charged with offences that could receive the death penalty. The death toll among protestors is estimated to be over 450. According to Iranian officials, thousands of protesters have been arrested. Hundreds including security officials have been killed.