India, Jan. 14 -- The growing protest movement in Iran has now reached a critical stage, where the intensity not merely of international rhetoric but also the toll in human lives is increasing. The rising number of reported deaths being nudged towards the 2,000 mark, the politics of finger-pointing between Iran and the U.S. is becoming even more acute.

Ali Larijani is an Iranian politician and former officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who is the current secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He previously headed the Iranian parliament for more than a decade and plays an important role in Iran's security policymaking process.

In a strong reaction, Iranian national security chief and ex-speaker of the Iranian parli...