Lauren C. Moye, FISM News
The White House is once again in damage control mode after President Joe Biden implied direct U.S. involvement in the Iranian freedom protests.
“Don’t worry, we’re going to free Iran. They’re going to free themselves pretty soon,” Biden said at a San Diego campaign event for Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) held late on Thursday.
The comment appears to be sparked by signs held by rally attendees that said “free Iran” and by an Iranian freedom protest being held outside the rally.
White House spokespeople spent Friday clarifying that Biden was simply “expressing solidarity,” which he has been “very clear” on doing since the freedom protests began over a month ago.
One of the top national security aides was the first to respond.
“The president was expressing our solidarity with the protesters as he’s been doing, quite frankly, from the very outset – even in the well of the UN – making it clear that we stand with the men and women of Iran who are peacefully trying to protest … policies that they find are violating their basic civil and human rights,” said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communication for the National Security Council.
Kirby added that there had been no change in policy.
That means the U.S. would “continue to look for ways to hold the regime accountable” for humanitarian violations against their own citizens.
Meanwhile, “it should be up to the people of Iran to determine their future.”
The comments were echoed by Press Secretary Karinne Jean-Pierre yesterday, nearly word-for-word in places.
She added that Biden has boldly spoken “very loud and clear” about his solidarity with protestors in the past weeks.
She said the comment should not be taken as a hint that the White House will announce new pressure on Iran, but did say that the “regime must stop its violence and intimidation.”
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi responded vehemently to Biden’s comment on Friday morning during a televised address, accusing him of trying to undermine the nation’s unity and coherence.
“A few hours ago, I was informed that the president of America absentmindedly [said], ‘We will soon free Iran.’ We were freed 43 years ago, and Iran will never be your milking cow,” Raisi said.
The U.S. has placed sanctions on Iran twice during October. In the first week, the U.S. imposed sanctions for the violent crackdown on protestors following the death of Mahsa Amini, 22.
Amini was arrested by the country’s “morality police” for improper attire after wearing her hijab too loosely. She died in custody on Sept. 16 under suspicious circumstances.
On the day of Amini’s funeral, Iranian women protested the government by ripping off their headscarves. Scenes from the day of the protest show that morality police responded by dragging and beating protestors.
The U.S. also imposed additional sanctions on Iran in late October after evidence surfaced that suicide drones used by Russia against Ukrainian infrastructure were sourced from Iran.
Despite Biden’s comment that the nation would free itself, there is no evidence that the protests are gaining any ground at changing public policy amid the ongoing harsh response and mass arrests. Over 14,000 people have been arrested during the protests with around 300 deaths, according to the best estimates, which may prove to be inaccurate.