Crisis Averted
The US Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown with the passage of a bipartisan funding bill, but the process laid bare the persistent challenges of governance in an era of heightened partisanship and external influences.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran against cracking down on protests that broke out after it admitted shooting down an airliner by mistake that left all 176 people dead.
Taking to Twitter, Trump said, “The government of Iran must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people”.
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Trump message came after Iranian police dispersed students chanting “radical” slogans, according to Fars news agency, during a Saturday gathering in Tehran to honour those killed when the Ukraine International Airlines plane was shot down shortly after taking off from Tehran.
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“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you,” Trump further tweeted.
“We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage,” he added.
“There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching,” Trump said.
On Saturday, Iran admitted to shooting down the Ukrainian plane that crashed early on Wednesday after taking off from the capital city of Tehran.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the aircraft, which had flown close to a sensitive military site belonging to the elite Revolutionary Guards, was shot down “unintentionally due to human error”.
The Iranian military also put out a statement stating that the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target” after it turned toward a “sensitive military centre” of the Revolutionary Guard. It also blamed the “highest level of readiness” resulting from tensions with the United States.
The crash came hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting two bases in Iraq housing US forces in retaliation to the killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassim Suleimani.
The United States and Canada had said that the plane was shot down.
(With inputs from agency)
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