For the first time, an Iranian general has spoken of many casualties in connection with ongoing countrywide protests.
In a speech, General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Department of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), mentioned at least 300 dead, as seen in a video on the online portal Tabnak on Tuesday.
He also mentioned martyrs - meaning security forces and police officers who have been killed. The Revolutionary Guards are the elite unit of the armed forces in Iran and more important than the classical military.
Until now, it has been mainly human rights activists documenting the casualties.
The U.S.-based organization Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), for example, recently estimated that at least 450 demonstrators had been killed in the crackdown, including 64 children. In addition, 60 security personnel were reported killed.
Commander Hajizadeh again blamed Iran's enemies for the protests. In addition to the United States, he named Germany and France.
In the past weeks, the military and politicians had already blamed foreign countries.
Observers see this as an attempt to divert attention from the real causes of the protests.
The mass protests against the system of the Islamic Republic were triggered by the death of an Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini in mid-September after she died in police custody.
