Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, congratulated the Basij forces for confronting rioters during the country’s anti-government demonstrations.
Iran’s supreme leader praised paramilitaries quashing dissent in a televised address on Saturday.
140 ophthalmologists warned that demonstrators were being blinded by security forces. His support came as part of the group’s statement.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed members of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer force.
Maduro also asserted that nationwide protests are “tools” of the US and its “mercenaries.”
“(The) Basij should not forget that the main clash is with global hegemony,” he said.
In addition to assisting the morality police in cracking down on the September 17 protest that began after Mahsa Amini’s death while in police custody, the Basij has also been involved in suppressing the dissent.
There has been an increase in the number of patients who have sustained serious eye injuries as a result of being shot with metal pellets and rubber bullets, according to pro-reform Iranian news site Sobhema and Iran International, as well as other sites on social media. 140 ophthalmologists have expressed their concern in a letter.
The letter addressed to the head of the country’s ophthalmologists association, lamented that in many instances the blow caused the loss of one or both eyes.
The Iranian Opthalmology Association’s head was asked to communicate the ophthalmologists concerns about the permanent damage caused by security forces to the appropriate authorities.
Image Credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP
