Washington, DC – The US State Department, through its official Persian-language account on the X platform, responded to the Iranian government’s continued attempts to portray protesters as “terrorists,” emphasizing that this narrative no longer convinces the international community.
The State Department’s post stated: “The Islamic Republic regime’s labeling of protesters as ‘rioters’ and ‘terrorists’ does not fool the world,” adding clearly that “these are merely labels used to justify violence, nothing more.”
This hardline stance comes as Iranian authorities escalate their hostile rhetoric amid widening popular protests, with officials intensifying their use of the term terrorism as a legal and political cover to justify violent security campaigns against civilians.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has made intensive efforts in recent days to defend its excessive use of force. These efforts have included summoning ambassadors to invite representatives of foreign countries in Tehran to present the official narrative, screening documentaries alleging the protesters’ involvement in acts of sabotage, and exploiting Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s statements to try to legitimize the escalating repression. Despite these attempts, international responses have been disappointing for Tehran, with strong stances emerging from international leaders and organizations who consider labeling the protesters as terrorists a means of justifying violence and human rights violations.
