Germany's Scholz slams Iran's regime over protests crackdown; 'What kind of govt are you?'

In a direct jab at the Islamic Republic of Iran, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asked the country what kind of governance it operates on to kill its own citizens. Scholz called for new sanctions by the European Union as he slammed the brutal crackdown of Iranian authorities on anti-hijab protesters across the nation.

“We want to continue to step up the pressure on the IRGC and the political leadership,” he said in a video uploaded on Twitter. The chancellor went on to ask Tehran, “What kind of a government are you that shoots at its own citizens? Anyone who acts like this must count on our resistance.”

According to Iran International, Scholz's remarks come as a response to Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who earlier said in a tweet that his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock’s "provocative, interventionist and undiplomatic stances” on the crackdown “don't signal sophistication and wisdom."

While Iran’s government has continued to deflect condemnation from world powers by alleging that the US and its allies organized the anti-hijab protests, Scholz has said that “the Iranian government is solely responsible for the explosion of violence.” “We must pay heed and take action when human rights are violated. We are witnessing the Iranians’ brave fight for greater freedom and justice, and the brutal violence against them. Sanctions are one way in which we are stepping up the pressure on the regime," the German chancellor said.

Brutal crackdown of authorities on protesters in Iran

Furthermore, Scholz stated that the protests that erupted in Iran following the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini started as “a question of dress codes” but have now converted into a full-blown fight against oppression. “We see the struggle for freedom and justice, and we see Iranian drones attacking and killing Ukrainians. All of this is totally unacceptable,” he said, adding that “words alone were not enough in view of the brutality and contempt for human beings.”

Meanwhile, in Iran, the crackdown on protesters has resulted in a death toll of at least 326 people so far, which includes 25 women and 43 children, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights group. However, the number could be far more, and the possibility of executions of protesters continues to cause alarm.