Britain called for a transition in Iran to government that is “fair, democratic and recognises human rights” as protests grow in Tehran.
Cabinet minister Anna Turley stressed that the UK government wanted to see the people of Iran “safe and secure” as the regime was cracking down on demonstrations.
Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb expanding protests, with phone calls not reaching the country, flights cancelled and online Iranian news sites only intermittently updating.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of Donald Trump, saying rioters were attacking public properties and warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners”.
The protests that began over soaring inflation in the Islamic Republic late last month have spiralled into the biggest for three years, with unrest reported in every province and human rights groups documenting dozens of deaths.
Iran’s fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests on Friday with Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of the late ruling Shah, telling Iranians in a social media post: “The eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets.”
Trump, who bombed Iran last summer and who last week warned Tehran it could come to the protesters’ aid, said on Friday he would not meet Mr Pahlavi and was “not sure that it would be appropriate” to back him.
The images published by state television overnight showed what it said were burning buses, cars and motorbikes as well as fires at metro stations and banks.
It accused the People’s Mujahedin Organisation, an opposition faction that splintered off after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and also known as the MKO, of being behind the unrest.
But videos clips of the protests appeared to show large numbers of Iranian citizens taking to the streets to demonstrate against the economic crisis gripping their country, with some calling for regime change.
A state television journalist standing in front of the fires on Shariati Street in the Caspian Sea port of Rasht said “this looks like a war zone - all the shops have been destroyed”.
Iran has quelled far bigger bouts of unrest before, but it now faces a graver economic situation.
It is also under intensifying international pressure with global sanctions over its nuclear programme reimposed since September.
In London, Labour party chairwoman Anna Turley, a minister in the Cabinet Office, stressed: ““The priority for us is that the people of Iran have a regime that is fair, democratic and recognises human rights and there is a huge, long way to go in that struggle.
“We want to see the people of Iran safe, secure and we want a government that will move to a transition that is democratic, free and recognises human rights and we are a long way from seeing that at the moment.”
A French diplomatic source said Iran should show maximum restraint towards protesters.
