Iran's Guards head warns protesters: 'Today is last day of riots' - Reuters.com

Oct 29 (Reuters) - The caput of Iran's almighty Revolutionary Guards warned protesters that Saturday would beryllium their past time of taking to the streets, successful a motion that information forces whitethorn intensify their fierce crackdown connected unrest sweeping the country.

Iran has been gripped by protests since the decease of 22-year-old Kurdish pistillate Mahsa Amini successful the custody of the morality police past month, posing 1 of the boldest challenges to the clerical enactment since the 1979 revolution.

"Do not travel to the streets! Today is the past time of the riots," Guards commandant Hossein Salami said successful immoderate of the toughest connection utilized successful the crisis, which Iran's clerical enactment blames connected its overseas enemies including Israel and the United States.

"This sinister plan, is simply a program hatched ... successful the White House and the Zionist regime," Salami said.

Iranians person defied specified warnings passim the fashionable revolt successful which women person played a salient role. There were much reports of caller bloodshed connected Saturday.

Human rights radical Hengaw reported information forces shooting students astatine a girl's schoolhouse successful the metropolis of Saqez. In different station it said information forces opened occurrence connected students astatine Kurdistan University of Medical Science, successful the Kurdistan provincial superior of Sanandaj.

Several students were injured, 1 of them changeable successful the head, Hengaw said.

Reuters could not verify this report.

The wide feared Revolutionary Guards, who study straight to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, person not been deployed since demonstrations began past month. They are an elite unit with a way grounds of crushing dissent.

Rights groups person said astatine slightest 250 protesters person been killed and thousands arrested crossed Iran successful the protests

On Friday, video footage connected societal media showed protesters calling for the decease of Khamenei and the Basij militia, which has played a large relation successful efforts to quell demonstrations.

The Intelligence Ministry and the quality limb of the Revolutionary Guards person accused spy agencies from the United States, Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia of having orchestrated the unrest to destabilise the Islamic Republic.

Salami, who was speaking astatine a ceremonial of victims killed successful an attack this week claimed by Islamic State, reiterated that connection successful a nonstop code to the protesters.

"Don't merchantability your honour to America and don't slap the information forces who are defending you successful the face," helium said.

The United States volition adjacent week enactment the United Nations spotlight connected the Iran protests and look for ways to beforehand credible, autarkic investigations into Iranian quality rights abuses.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric connected Friday urged the Iranian authorities to code the "legitimate grievances of the population, including with respect to women's rights" and said information forces indispensable debar "all unnecessary oregon disproportionate usage of force" against peaceful protesters.

<a href="mailto:dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com" target="_blank">dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com</a>; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Helen Popper and Frances Kerry

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