TEHRAN - In a phone conversation with his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said during the American uprising and a momentary occupation of Congress the internet was shut down and even the president's own pages were blocked for reasons of national security.

“Do not forget that during the internal unrest in the United Stated that led to the occupation of the U.S. Congress, the internet was cut off for the people for a long time and even the personal pages of the U.S. president at the time, too, were closed with the justification that such moves are for national security reasons," said Amir Abdollahian.

The foreign minister was responding to Iran’s moves in limiting access to the internet to calm down the tense situation that followed the death of Mahsa Amini around mid-September.

Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police in Tehran to receive training on Islamic dress code along with others, fainted suddenly and later died in hospital. Protests first erupted in her native province of Kurdistan and gradually spread to certain other cities across the country. However, certain people and groups used her tragic death as an excuse to cause mayhem in the country. 

The senior Iranian diplomat said the forensic medical report about the death of Mahsa Amini will be released shortly.

He also said peaceful protests, which the government supports in accordance with the Constitution as a right has always been acknowledged and upheld.

“But there are some rioters, who are intrigued by the foreign powers and opponent foreign TV networks. They destroy public properties, attack the people and the police forces by using weapons, and the people expect police forces to ensure their security, and the human rights, and restore security and public trust in police forces.”

In peaceful demonstrations, he asserted, not a single protester is ever detained.

He added some of those who acted sentimentally were also released but those who used weapons or were linked to terrorist organizations would face legal proceedings.

Amir Abdollahian added that the Islamic Republic would unquestionably continue to take a determined stand against terrorism and the schemes of terrorist organizations.

The foreign minister said the West fanned the flames of riots by meddling in Iran's domestic affairs.

He went on to say that contrary to Western claims Iran respects women’s rights.
 
“We care intensively about the human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and now the Iranian women are serving in universities, scientific centers, academic centers, offices, and technological fields, quite effectively,” he said.

‘Efforts to lift sanctions moving smoothly’

During the call, Iran’s top diplomat also went through recent developments in bilateral ties and the nuclear talks to lift the sanctions. 

The efforts to lift the sanctions are still moving along smoothly, the Iranian foreign minister stated.

‘Iran has not sent drones to Russia to be used against Ukraine’

He also emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran's position on the Ukraine situation is the same as before, which is that it should be handled via diplomatic talks. He once again vehemently denied as false press reports that Iran had sent drones to Russia for use in war against Ukraine.

For his part, Ireland's foreign minister also hailed the progress made in nuclear talks with world powers, saying that obtaining a deal will benefit all parties and other nations.

Coveney expressed optimism that the negotiations with Washington wouldn't become more challenging by taking into account the shifting global circumstances, particularly the conflict in the Ukraine and internal events in Iran.

Regarding social turmoil in Iran, he said, “Keeping in mind the peaceful demands of the Iranian nation, which are also emphasized by your good self too, this is of great importance.”

The many facets of bilateral relations between Iran and Ireland were discussed by the two parties during their conversation.