Pence: America Will Not Repeat 'Shameful Mistake' Regarding Iranian Protesters

On Monday, January 1, the U.S. Vice President stated that as long as he and Donald Trump are in leadership, they will not allow the 'shameful mistake' of the past regarding Iranian protesters to be repeated. Mike Pence tweeted: 'As long as Donald Trump is President and I am Vice President, the United States will not repeat its shameful past mistake of standing aside and ignoring the brave resistance of the Iranian people in their fight against their oppressive regime.' He added: 'The courageous and growing resistance of the Iranian people today gives hope and faith to all those who fight for freedom and against tyranny. We must not allow them to be discouraged, and we will not.' Pence's remarks refer to the Obama administration's response to the 2009 protests in Iran, which Republicans claim was weak in supporting the protesters. Pence's tweet came just hours after Donald Trump reacted to the widespread protests in Iran for several consecutive days, stating: 'Iran, despite its very bad nuclear deal with the Obama administration, has failed at all levels. The great people of Iran have been suppressed for years. They are hungry for food and freedom.' The protests in Iran, which began last Thursday in Mashhad and quickly spread to other cities, are the largest unrest in Iran in the past eight years. In response to the international reactions, the German Foreign Minister expressed concern on Monday over the deaths of protesters in Iran and urged the Islamic Republic to respect the rights of the people. According to Reuters, Sigmar Gabriel, the German Foreign Minister, stated regarding these protests: 'We urge the Iranian government to respect the rights of demonstrators to assemble and voice their opinions peacefully.' He added: 'After the recent clashes, it is very important that all parties refrain from violence.' Reports from Iranian state media indicate that at least 10 people have been killed in the past four days of protests, which continue, in the cities of Tuyserkan, Izeh, Dorud, and Shahinshahr due to gunfire or related incidents. During the five days of nationwide protests in Iran, few foreign countries have commented on the protests, and among European countries, only the British Foreign Minister stated that he is watching the situation in Iran with concern and emphasized that citizens' right to peaceful protest is vital. On Monday, in addition to Germany, the Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed hope that protesters in Iran would not resort to violence that could lead to bloodshed. Moscow stated that foreign intervention in Iran's situation is unacceptable. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not provide further details but seems to be referring to comments made by U.S. officials, especially Donald Trump, regarding the recent protests in Iran. Trump, in several tweets, described the Iranian government as having failed at all levels and criticized the blocking of social media networks, warning Tehran that the world is watching its actions. On the other hand, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry warned its citizens on Monday not to travel to Iran 'under any circumstances' due to the unrest. According to a statement issued by this ministry, which was published on Twitter, all Bahrainis residing in Iran have also been urged to leave the country. It stated that Iran is currently experiencing 'very high tensions and an unstable security situation' along with 'widespread violent actions.' Bahrain, a country with a Shiite majority, sees its citizens traveling to Iran mainly for religious reasons. The two countries have severed ties since the attack by radical Islamists on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad. Bahrain has always accused Iran of interfering in its internal affairs, a claim that Tehran officials deny.