South Africa Urges Iran to Exercise “Maximum” Restraint
The nation's Foreign Ministry released a statement emphasizing that lasting stability hinges on empowering Iranian citizens themselves. "Sustainable peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions that center the agency of the Iranian people," the ministry declared.
Pretoria pressed Iranian leaders to safeguard constitutional protest rights after disturbing accounts emerged of violence and deaths. Officials underscored that peaceful assembly, free speech, and association constitute fundamental liberties that "must be upheld without exception."
The diplomatic intervention comes as US President Donald Trump has pledged ongoing support for Iranian demonstrators. Authorities in Iran have launched a brutal suppression campaign that sources say has produced a rising death toll.
Tehran has blamed Washington and Israel for orchestrating what officials characterize as violent insurrection and extremist attacks, while speculation intensifies about potential American military intervention.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based group, estimates that at least 2,615 people have been killed, including protesters and security personnel.
Iranian officials have yet to publish verified casualty or arrest statistics.
The upheaval erupted December 28 in Tehran's commercial districts when business owners, shopkeepers, and merchants launched strikes protesting runaway inflation, the rial's collapse, and worsening economic hardship. The movement has since exploded into a nationwide revolt, drawing workers, students, and diverse groups across numerous urban centers.
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