The White House issued an unusual claim late in the day Wednesday, alleging that Russia may be advising Iran on how to better crackdown on protesters.
"We stand with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre began in a briefing, addressing the raging "anti-hijab" protests, which have been ongoing since mid-September.
She then said the United States is "concerned that Moscow may be advising Tehran on best practices to manage protests, drawing on Russia’s extensive experience in suppressing open demonstrations."
While not offering any evidence of the new, unprecedented charge, Jean-Pierre noted that Iran's assistance to Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict is "clear and public." This is in reference to the Iranian suicide drones wreaking havoc on Ukrainian cities over the past two weeks.
