Allegations Of U.S. Involvement In Iran Protests Are 'Nonsense,' U.S. Envoy Says

In an interview on October 14 with RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, Jarrett Blanc, the deputy U.S. special envoy for Iran, brushed aside Tehran’s accusations that weeks-long mass protests in the country are orchestrated by the United States or Israel. In a speech on October 12, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted the protests are not “homegrown and spontaneous” but are the work of “either agents of the enemy, or if they aren’t agents of the enemy then they are aligned with the enemy." Nationwide unrest in Iran was sparked by outrage over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September while in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. A brutal and deadly crackdown by the authorities has fueled further anti-regime protests.