Tehran Burns
PJM's Ardeshir Arian, following developments in Iran closely by phone and on the Internet, reports that unrest sparked by government gas rationing took place mainly in Tehran, but also in other cities.
(developing story)
EARLIER REPORT:
Following the rationing of gasoline in Iran, many people waited in lines to fill their tanks before the price hike until the last hours of Wednesday, June, 26, 07 in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The rationing caused angry mobs to attack the gas stations and set them on fire.
BBC and Reuters initially reported that at least one Tehran gas station is burning in protest. But Pajamas Media has learned the number is more like fifteen. (Some sites like Anti-Mullah are reporting as many as fifty.)
A left-wing Iranian website, SJK, which has several videos and photographs, has reported from Tehran that people ignited tires and other flammable materials to start fires in the city. They put police cars, blocked roads and entered into clashes with the security forces, basijis (regime vigilantes) and regular police.
According to SJK, more than 15 gas stations were set on fire in the early hours of morning. People have also attacked one city hall building in Tehran. The protests included government banks and government-run supermarkets, which were ransacked by ordinary people. It took hours for security forces to gain control and some forces fled the scene to safety.
The areas include Sohrevardi, Azadi Square (Shahyad), Pirouzi, Tajrish, Vali-Asr, Tehra-No, Shariaty, Imam Hossein (Fouzieh) Square and some other Tehran neighborhoods.
Demonstrations have leaped to other Iranian cities like Karaj, Mashad, Tabriz, Bandar-Abbas, Ardabil and Kermanshah.
Cries of “Death to Ahmadinejad” were heard.
There are reports that Basijis and Pasdar forces (Revolutionary Guards) used tear gas to disburse the angry crowd. One report states that a young man was shot by the security forces and is in critical condition.
UPDATE: The Baztab news site claims that reporters with cameras in hand covering the unrest were attacked. This took place out of fear that security forces were photographing protesters in order to identify and arrest them.
This news site, headquartered in Tehran, is citing foreign sources – including BBC and Radio Farda (US Persian-language Radio) as reporting that three people were killed in the unrest. Some reports on websites indicate that arrests were made by the IRI agents.
Iran Press News, an Iranian opposition news site from Europe reported arguments inside the Iranian Parliament (Majles) regarding the handling of the gas rationing issue. One parliament member claimed that these unrests are not the work of angry citizens but the work of “terrorists”, “enemies” and “American dollars.”
Iranian blogger Winston at Spirit of Man has numerous links and pictures from various parts of Iran. More at Gateway Pundit and Hot Air.
Photos by Iran Student News Agency
Holy SH%T!
Jag off mullahs! I can’t believe that they are doing this! All this crap is for nothing……………….NOTHING! I hate them with all my heart and soul. Iran should and could be a nation with one of the highest standards of living in the world but we are going to the level of sub Saharan Africa. Iran is run by traitors.
My parents are there and other relatives and friends. Death to false mullahs! Petrol rationing from a country that is one of the top 5 oil producers in the world and the filthy mullahs are sending billions of the Iranian peoples dollars to terrorists in Palestine, Lebanon and in Iraq!
They will pay, oh boy will they pay. Thank God for Pajamas media and Ardeshir PLEASE keep us up to date, this might be the spark that will ignite the IRANIAN REVOLUTION! I’m also curious about Dr. Ledeen’s take on the situation. Take care Ardershir jan and I will prey for my fellow Iranians that this night mare called the Islamic Republic will be swept away.
Wake up America. Help Iranians overthrow the ayatollahs
I hope this revolution happens in your country. You deserve freedom from this tyranny. I know there are so many good people in Iran. I’ve known some students and they felt so oppressed and afraid for their loved ones in Iran. I know of no one who hates the Iranian people. It’s just this crazy Ahmadinejad and his gang of bullies. Intelligent people understand this and are in full support of your nation becoming free.
Keep the fire going on Iran! Please participate in the Uncle Sam poll.
What an opportunity for an “insider” to blow their refinery to kingdon come. That would curtail their war efforts and encourage overthrowing the regime. Whatever happened to the CIA?
The C-I-What now? Isn’t that a branch of the democrat party bent on destroying the Bush administration by leaking sensitive information to news reporters? I coulda sworn it was…
Whatever happened to the CIA?
BUWHAHAHAHAHA!
That was sarcasm, right?
The CIA is so risk-adverse that it is useless and should be defunded and/or dissolved.
Eventually the Iranian people will overthrow the mullahs, but the chaos and retribution that follows may be worse in the short term, so be careful for what you wish.
No need for the people to go after the refineries: the regime has done that for them.
This is the outcome of the absolute mismanagement of the regime and its authoritarian views, plus its inability to understand how to do simple things like, yes, keep its refineries repaired. This is a consequence of that.
Another Miracle by Mullah’s for the poor besieged people of our country!
For 28 years the Mullah’s have brought nothing other than death, destruction and misery to Iran.
Here is the A. Jacksonian link:
Iran’s Oil Outlook
it works.
I think this happened to Los Angeles, all but the rationing of gas……and guess what genius …..no revolution….once again showing the beautiful minds of the Iranians, destroying private property, and peoples income by burning privately owned gas stations to make what point…..God forbid a revolution take place in that country.. the fallout from that would be IRAQ part 2
Don’t you get it?
The Iranian government is not very efficient and they need that oil elsewhere
One of two options:
1. they are selling it to pariahs like North Korea, who is quietly gearing up for an attack or
2. Themselves
They may be stockpiling in anticipation of attacking into Iraq. They see a lame duck president with a hostile congress and they see opportunity
If America found itself facing a full-scale Iranian invasion, would congress demand US troops step aside and let them pass? You bet your ass they would. And the US troops would likely get surrounded and, if not annihilated, hurt really bad
Do not underestimate Iranian will and power
I see they blame the U.S, but eventually I think they’ll blame the butcher!
Also remember that Ahmadinejad promised to give the oil money back to the people during the elections. Take first and then give?
Mailanka: “The C-I-What now? Isn’t that a branch of the democrat party bent on destroying the Bush administration by leaking sensitive information to news reporters? I coulda sworn it was…”
Nah, they’re still working on the counter-revolution in Cuba.
On a serious note, if lasting legitimacy counts, don’t wish for foreign interference in Iran’s counter-revolution. Change must come from within. Ask Iraq.
What is this “with virtually no warning” regarding gasoline rationing? The Iranian government has been talking about this for quite a while. Iran has inadequate refining capability for its strongly growing population. This has been known for some time. Any naval blockade of Iran (not allowing in products) would be very destructive of the Iranian economy as a result.
Oh, and the major buyers of Iranian oil are the Japanese and then other Asians. Blockade of oil exports from Iran would be critical to east Asia.
PajamasMedia Player –> way, WAY cool player.
msnbc.com doesn’t have this on their lead page yet. There are two Paris Hilton stories there however.
Is it possible to identify a Paris Hilton angle in this story? Might get it some traction in the US media . . .
When you declare martial law in a situation like this, when your prisons are full with children, and young adults, and the best minds of the country as well as pissed off the smallest street vendor your actual man in the street….its really a flash point for collapse that may be irreversible . They already in a proxy war with the U.S. on several fronts and thru a pride that instead of congratulations has brung sanctions instead. I doubt Chavez will be able to help with more oil any time soon. But you never know. I wish I had a google map in real time to see what it looks like from satellite. I wonder if any leaders have been quietly leaving the country. I remember Tiamanen Square way back..everyone thought the government was going to collapse..instead there was a blackout, and a mass massacre. Now everything we buy comes from China.
But unlike China ,Tehran has its hands full by several orders of magnitude., rebellion in the strrets, wahabis killing their Mullahs in the south, things we already know. Since I am way over here in the U.S all I can do is pray.
My prayers go out to the Iranians in the street, and the villages..Those families that just want to be left in peace to prosper and grow. To give hope to all those who are hopeless in their prisons and that a transformation take place that will give them strength to drive the wolves away from the flock as well as the silver foxes who hold the keys to the hen house.
I pray that my prayer joins others to form a divine wind , to inspire, to comfort, to restore courage , and to soften the stone hearts that rule.
Do you know that the only major online news outlet that even mentions these riots is NPR’s? Leave it to them to bring up news that everybody else shoves to the back burner.
Why isn’t this getting big play in the US MSM? BBC, Australian Broadcasting Channel, lots of bloggers bring this to my attention. But CNN? Fox? MSNBC? All of a piece. More Paris Hilton coverage, but no mention of the riots in Iran. Maybe it’d throw out of whack any possible invasion that Cheney is just drooling over.
Seriously, though, and I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched, but how might a possible Iranian revolution screw over any plans Cheney has to invade Iran? I truly don’t know.