伊朗第一副总统埃斯哈格·贾汉吉里周一称，伊朗人民对美国的“仇恨”已经“增加”杀戮尽管抗议者在周末高呼美国不是他们的“敌人”
周末，伊朗首都德黑兰发生了大规模反政府抗议活动，据报道，全国其他城市也发生了较小规模的示威活动。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队(IRGC)承认错误击落乌克兰国际航空公司的一架航班，造成176名乘客死亡，此前伊朗政府三天来一直否认这架飞机被火箭击落，示威者对此表示愤怒。
“他们撒谎说我们的敌人是美国，我们的敌人就在这里，”抗议者说周日吟唱。前一天，他们高呼“独裁者去死”，指的是伊朗最高领导人阿亚图拉阿里哈梅内伊。但是贾汉吉里声称，实际上伊朗人对美国更加愤怒，因为1月3日美国无人机袭击杀死了苏莱曼尼。
据伊朗法尔斯新闻社报道，贾汉吉里周一在德黑兰会见叙利亚总理伊马德·哈米斯时说:“当然，伊朗对美国措施的仇恨与过去相比有所增加。”
1月11日，在伊朗首都德黑兰阿米尔卡比尔大学前的集会后，一名参加烛光守夜纪念乌克兰国际航空公司波音737遇难者的妇女与一名警察交谈
这位伊朗领导人还敦促中东各国领导人将美国驱逐出该地区，并指出投票由伊拉克议会来做。据伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社报道，他说，美军撤离该地区将是对索莱马尼被杀的“真正报复”。
上周，数以万计的伊朗人参加了苏莱曼尼的葬礼，因为许多伊朗人认为他是他们国家广受欢迎的捍卫者。尽管大量伊朗人示威反对美国呼吁复仇。乌克兰航班的坠毁重新点燃了人们对本国政府的不满。飞机上的大多数乘客是伊朗国民，这增加了人们的愤怒。
这架飞机是在IRGC向驻扎在伊拉克的美军基地发射导弹数小时后被击落的，这是为了对美国袭击索莱马尼事件做出反应。IRGC方面表示，他们将乌克兰飞机误认为是来袭导弹。使情况复杂化的是，政府官员起初试图掩盖军方的行动，称这种错误“不可能”发生。
但是，在国际压力下，美国、英国和加拿大都公开表示，情报显示伊朗军方击落了这架飞机，伊朗领导人承认了该国在事件中的作用。尽管官员们向人民表达了诚挚的哀悼，抗议者呼吁辞职，甚至呼吁IRGC完全离开这个国家。
贝鲁特美国大学政治学教授希拉勒·卡山告诉记者:“我认为政府会容忍最初爆发的公众愤怒，但如果抗议失控，我认为我们应该期待政府做出强硬的回应。”新闻周刊。
社交媒体上流传的视频显示，伊朗警方用催泪瓦斯驱散示威者。去年年底，伊朗政府严厉镇压了此前的反政府抗议活动，有报道称数百名示威者被当局杀害。
1月11日，伊朗学生在首都德黑兰阿米尔卡比尔大学前举行游行，悼念乌克兰国际航空公司航班遇难者
唐纳德·特朗普总统和国务卿迈克·庞贝支持示威游行，发誓支持伊朗人民，并重申他们对伊朗政府的批评。
“致伊朗领导人——不要杀害你们的抗议者。成千上万的人已经被你杀害或监禁，全世界都在关注着。更重要的是，美国正在关注，”特朗普周日在推特上说。
国务院在推特上发布了庞贝的消息，说:“美国听到了。美国支持你。美国支持你。”
然而，批评者很快注意到特朗普政府已经禁止伊朗公民获得美国签证。政府也实施了限制措施对伊朗的金融制裁。
“目前的抗议浪潮有可能发展成一场革命，”哈山说，并指出乌克兰飞机的坠落已经造成伊朗人的“重大生命损失”。他还指出，这让他想起了导致1979年伊朗革命的事件。
哈山暗示特朗普的支持也会给示威带来“推动”。然而，他指出，“美国在支持反叛人民的事业方面没有超越言辞的良好记录。”
IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT CLAIMS PEOPLE'S 'HATRED' OF U.S. HAS 'INCREASED' AFTER PROTESTERS SAY AMERICA ISN'T THEIR 'ENEMY'
Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri argued Monday that his people's "hatred" of the U.S. has "increased" following the killing of military commander Qassem Soleimani, despite protesters' chants during the weekend that America was not their "enemy."
Large anti-government protests took place in Iran's capital Tehran during the weekend, with smaller demonstrations reported in other cities across the country. Demonstrators expressed anger after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) admitted to mistakenly shooting down a Ukrainian International Airlines flight, killing all 176 passengers, after the government had denied for three days that the aircraft was downed by a rocket.
"They are lying that our enemy is America, our enemy is right here," protesters chanted on Sunday. The day before, they shouted "death to the dictator," referencing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Jahangiri claimed that Iranians were actually more angry at America, due to the killing of Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike on January 3.
"Certainly, the Iranian nation's hatred for the U.S. measures has increased compared with the past," Jahangiri said as he met with Syrian Prime Minister Imad al-Khamis in Tehran on Monday, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.
A woman attending a candlelight vigil, in memory of the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737, talks to a policeman following the gathering in front of the Amirkabir University in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 11
The Iranian leader also urged leaders throughout the Middle East to expel the U.S. from the region, noting the vote by the Iraqi parliament to do just that. He said that the exit of U.S. forces from the region would be the "real revenge" for the killing of Soleimani, according to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency.
Soleimani's funeral was attended by tens of thousands in Iran last week, as many Iranians viewed him as a popular defender of their country. While large numbers of Iranians have demonstrated against the U.S. and called for "revenge," the downing of the Ukraine flight has reignited frustrations with their own government. The majority of the plane's passengers were Iranian nationals, which added to the people's anger.
The plane was shot down hours after the IRGC had launched missiles targeting military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in a showing of force designed to respond to the U.S. strike that took out Soleimani. The IRGC said they mistook the Ukrainian aircraft for an incoming missile. Complicating the situation, government officials initially tried to cover up the military's actions, saying it was "impossible" for such a mistake to occur.
But, following international pressure and the U.S., U.K. and Canada all publicly saying that intelligence showed that the Iranian military had shot down the aircraft, Iran's leaders acknowledged the country's role in the incident. Although officials expressed their sincere condolences to the people, protesters called for resignations and even for the IRGC to leave the country altogether.
"I think the government will tolerate the initial outburst of public anger, but should protests go out of control, I think we should expect heavy-handed government response," Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut told Newsweek.
Videos circulated on social media showed Iran's police dispersing demonstrators with tear gas. The Iranian government cracked down heavily on previous anti-government protests late last year, with reports of hundreds of demonstrators being killed by the authorities.
Iranians students demonstrate following a tribute for the victims of a Ukraine International Airlines flight in front of the Amirkabir University in the capital Tehran on January 11
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have jumped behind the demonstrations, vowing their support for the Iranian people and reiterating their criticism of the nation's government.
"To the leaders of Iran - DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching," Trump tweeted Sunday.
The State Department tweeted out a message from Pompeo, saying: "America hears you. America supports you. America stands with you."
Critics were quick to note, however, that Trump's government has banned Iranian citizens from obtaining visas to the U.S. The administration has also implemented crippling financial sanctions against Iran.
"The present wave of protests has the potential of developing into a revolution," Khashan said, noting that the downing of the Ukrainian plane had caused a "heavy loss" of Iranian lives. He also pointed out that it reminded him of the events that led to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Khashan suggested that Trump's support could give the demonstrations a "boost" as well. However, he noted that "the U.S. does not have a good record of going beyond rhetoric in supporting the cause of rebellious people."
