Iranian protest deaths, including 40 children, have happened in almost every province: UN

The UNHigh Commissionerfor Human Rights said on Tuesday that the situation in Iran was"critical," describing a hardening of the authorities' responseto protests that have resulted in more than 300 deaths in thepast two months.

"The rising number of deaths from protests in Iran,including those of two children at the weekend, and thehardening of the response by security forces, underline thecritical situation in the country," saidJeremyLaurence,a spokesperson for UNhuman rights chief Volker Turk, at a Geneva news briefing.

The Islamic Republic has been gripped by nationwide protestssince the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16 after she was arrested by Iran'smorality police forwearing clothes deemed "inappropriate."

Tehran has blamed foreign enemies and their agents fororchestrating the protests, which have turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all corners of society, posing one of theboldest challenges to the clerical rulers since the 1979 revolution.

Iran's World Cup team declined to sing their anthem beforetheir opening World Cup match on Monday in a sign of support forthe protests.

WATCH | Iran's opening World Cup match marked with protests, disputes:

Iran's opening World Cup match marked with protests, disputes

2 years ago

Duration 1:34

Supporters at Iran's opening World Cup match on Monday reported disputes among pro and anti government groups within the stadium, while one fan said he was asked to put away his pre-Islamic revolution flag and a T-shirt expressing support for protesters in Iran.

Deaths in 25 of 31 provinces

Later this week, the UNHuman Rights Council in Genevawill hold a debate on the protests, which is expected to be attended bydiplomats as well as witnesses and victims.

A proposal to be discussed at the session seeks to establisha fact-finding mission on the crackdown in Iran. Any evidence ofabuses such a body might find could later be used beforenational and international courts, a UNdocument showed.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)said that more than 300 people had been killed so far, includingmore than 40 children. These deaths occurred across the country,with deaths reported in 25 of 31 provinces.

In the same briefing,Laurencealso voiced concern about the situation in mainly Kurdish cities, where it has reports of more than 40 people killed by securityforces over the past week.

Iranian state media said last month that more than 46security forces, including police, had been killed in theprotests.

Government officials have not provided an estimate ofany wider death count.

40 foreign nationals arrested, Iran says

Iran, which has blamed"foreign adversaries" for the protests, said on Tuesday 40 foreignnationals had been arrested for their role in the unrest.

"So far, 40 foreign nationals have been arrested for theirinvolvement in the protests," Iran's judiciary spokesperson MasoudSetayeshi told a televised news conference, without revealingtheir nationalities.

In September, Tehran said nine Europeans had been arrestedfor their involvement in the protests.

Iran hits Iraqi Kurdistan

In attacks linked to the protests,Iran's Revolutionary Guardtargeted on Tuesday a base of what it says are "separatist terrorists" in Iraq's Kurdistan region with missiles andkamikaze drones, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said.

Tehran accuses Iranian Kurdish groups taking refuge inIraq's Kurdistan of fomenting the nationwide protests.

"In today's operation, the base of a separatist terroristgroup near Kirkuk, known as the Free Kurdistan Party, was targeted by missiles and kamikaze drones," Tasnim said.

The news agency also said that since Nov. 14 the Revolutionary Guards launched a new round of attacks against "separatistterrorists" in response to the group's alleged anti-securityactions in Iranian cities bordering Iraq.

Last week, two people were killed and 10 were wounded whenrockets and drones hit the headquarters of Iranian Kurdishparties in the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq.

Nuclear move irks Western powers

Meanwhile, Iran has begun enrichinguranium to 60 per centpurity at its underground Fordow nuclear site,the country's nuclear chief said on Tuesday, a move that irkedWestern powers pushing Tehran to roll back its nuclear work byreviving a 2015 pact.

Enrichment to 60 per centpurity is one short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Nonproliferation experts have warned in recent months that Iran now has enough 60-per-cent-enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb.

"We had said that Iran will seriously react to anyresolution and political pressure. That is why Iran hasstarted enriching uranium to 60 per centpurity from Monday at theFordow site," said Mohammad Eslami, according to Iranian media.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 35-nationBoard of Governors on Thursday passed a resolution ordering Iranto co-operate urgently with the agency's investigation intouranium traces found at three undeclared sites. Iran had warnedthat the move could impact its "constructive relations" withthe agency.

Later Tuesday, a joint statement from Germany, France and Britain the three Western European countries that remain in the Iran nuclear deal condemned Iran's latest action.

"Iran's step is a challenge to the global non-proliferation system," a statement from the three said. "This step, which
carries significant proliferation-related risks, has no credible civilian justification.

"We will continue to consult, alongside international partners, on how best to address Iran's continued nuclear escalation."

Earlier this month, the IAEA said it believes that Iran has further increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. As recently as last week, the agency criticized Tehran for continuing to bar the agency's officials from accessing or monitoring Iranian nuclear sites.

It has been nearly two years since IAEA officials have had full access to monitor Iran's nuclear sites, and five months since the surveillance equipment was removed.

The United States unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018, under then-president Donald Trump. It reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to start backing away from the deal's terms.

Iranian drone used to attack tanker, U.S. says

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have also ratcheted up on the water.

The U.S. military onTuesday said debris analysis has concluded that the same type ofIranian drone that Tehran has supplied to Russia for itsinvasion of Ukraine was used to attack a commercial tanker offthe coast of Oman a week ago.

The U.S. navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet published photos anddetails of its investigation into the attack on the
Liberian-flagged Pacific Zircon tanker, including debris fromthe Shahed-136 drone itself.

In a statement, the navy said the drone ripped a76-centimetrehole into the back of the ship, and theexplosive impact damaged a shipboard boiler, potable water tankand life raft.

"The Iranian attack on a commercial tanker transitinginternational waters was deliberate, flagrant and dangerous,
endangering the lives of the ship's crew and destabilizingmaritime security in the Middle East," Vice-Adm. Brad Cooper,
the top U.S. navy commander in the Middle East, said in astatement.

Gulf waters have seen attacks in recent years on tankersthat have come at times of heightened regional tensions with
Iran. In July 2021, a suspected drone attack hit a petroleumproduct tanker managed by an Israeli firm off Oman's coast. Iran denied accusations it was responsible.