The Times of Israel reports: TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Thursday directly blamed a CIA official and Israeli Mossad backing for a week of protests calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, as the strength of the demonstrations was uncertain with fewer reports of rallies.
The Trump administration has denied having any hand in the protests, and the CIA declined to comment. It wasn’t immediately clear if the drop in reports of new demonstrations challenging Iran’s theocratic government meant the protests were subsiding or that the authorities’ blocking of social media apps has managed to stop protesters from offering new images of rallies.
The demonstrations, which began December 28 over the country’s struggling economy, have been the largest in Iran since the disputed 2009 presidential election. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested.
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