| | | Do Iranians Hate the Chinese for backing the mullahs?
Yes, a significant portion of the Iranian population harbours resentment towards China, largely because they perceive Beijing as a key supporter of the ruling clerical regime (mullahs) and feel that the government is selling off national resources to China
.
Here are the key factors contributing to this sentiment:
- The 25-Year Cooperation Agreement: Many Iranians protested the 25-year, $400 billion economic and security deal signed with China, viewing it as a "disgraceful" contract that auctions off Iranian land, islands, and national resources to keep the struggling regime in power.
- Backing the "Unpopular Regime": Ordinary Iranians and opposition activists view China as a lifeline for a "deeply unpopular" regime, providing the economic and technological means (including surveillance tools) for the mullahs to suppress internal dissent.
- Economic Misery: The partnership with China is seen as failing to benefit the average citizen, occurring while the Iranian public deals with high inflation, poverty, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was linked to flights from China.
- Hypocrisy on Muslim Rights: Some Iranians and critics have pointed out the hypocrisy of the Islamic Republic’s close ties with China despite Beijing's suppression of Uyghur Muslims, which has increased anti-Chinese sentiment among those who oppose the regime's double standards.
While some Iranians may distinguish between the Chinese people and the Chinese government—holding neutral or positive views of the former—the prevailing view among critics of the regime is that China is an enabling partner in their oppression.
- Iranian state TV claims extensive property damage during protests: Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting released an assessment saying the nationwide unrest that began December 28 caused trillions of tomans (tens of millions of USD) in damage, including roughly 3 trillion tomans (approximately 70 million USD) of damage to Tehran’s municipal services. It reported widespread destruction of banks and ATMs, hundreds of shops damaged, and impacts on ambulances, schools, mosques, cinemas, and heritage sites across dozens of provinces. The figures have not been independently verified.
|
|
