Head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali said enemies wanted to turn the country into the second Syria by fomenting unrests and riots after the peaceful rallies by people to protest at gasoline rationing. RNA - "In the November incidents, the enemies of the Revolution, supported by the US, came together with all their capacity in the media and social media fields and 4 active cyber headquarters started activities against Iran in the cognitive domain," General Jalali said in Tehran on Sunday.
He added that the vigilant Iranian people immediately separated their way from the rioters and understood that the enemies wanted to turn Iran into a second Syria by pursuing a fully organized project to foment unrests and chaos in the country.
General Jalali also underscored the foreign-based social media's role in the November riots, and added, "The enemies were waiting for an opportunity to implement the project and the higher gasoline price was merely a pretext for chaos and unrests."
In mid-November, the Iranian government raised gasoline prices in order to moderate the national consumption rate.
According to Fars News Agency, the move prompted protests in a number of cities that went largely peaceful but turned violent when armed riotous individuals took advantage of the situation to vandalize public and state property, and attack civilians and security forces alike.
Shortly after the riots broke out, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei tasked the Supreme National Security Council with compiling a report detailing the reasons behind the riots and immediate attending of the families of the victims.
Earlier this week, the Judiciary said a haul of American-made weapons had been seized in the Central city of Isfahan and after being smuggled into Iran in order to be used in the November riots.
According to the public prosecutor of Isfahan, the consignment consisted of over 126 riot (pellet) guns, firearms, and AK-47 as well as 900 live rounds.
847/940