By LEON SVERDLOV | The Jerusalem Post
After denials, Tehran admits “disastrous mistake,” saying
air defenses were fired in error after Iranian missile strikes on US targets in
Iraq.
President Donald Trump has tweeted his support to the
people of Iran, saying "I've stood with you since the beginning of my
Presidency."
Hundreds of Iranian protesters demanded Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei step down on Saturday after Tehran admitted that its military had
mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian plane, killing all 176 people on board.
“Commander-in-chief [Khamenei] resign, resign,” videos
posted on Twitter showed hundreds of people chanting in front of Tehran’s Amir
Kabir university.
This is the first protest since the assassination of IRGC
Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. Last November, hundreds were
reportedly killed in protests in multiple cities across the Islamic
Republic.
Demonstrators on Saturday ripped up pictures of Soleimani
during the protests.
In a show of solidarity with the people of Iran against
the regime, Trump tweeted: "To the brave, long-suffering people of
Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my
Administration will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests
closely, and are inspired by your courage."
He then issued a second tweet saying the same in Farsi.
The concealment of the Ukrainian jet downing by the
Iranian authorities raised questions among the republic’s citizens, leading to
the renewal of the protests.
“They were so careful not to kill any American in their
revenge for Soleimani. But they did not close the airport? This shows how much
this regime cares for Iranians,” said Iranian citizen Mira Sedaghati.
“This is not human error. This is a crime against humanity,” said exiled Persian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Saturday. “He who has irresponsibly empowered his thugs to fire at will at innocents bears full responsibility. #Enough_is_enough. Khamenei and his regime must go.”
