During his speech on January 3 on Iranian television, Khamenei acknowledged that the concerns of street vendors regarding the fall of the national currency are justified. He noted that it was economic difficulties that became the catalyst for the first wave of protests, but emphasized that social discontent should not be used for political purposes in the interests of Iran's external enemies.
According to him, "we must engage in dialogue with the protesters, but conversations with the rioters will lead to nothing good. The rioters need to be put in their place," said the 86-year-old ayatollah.
Khamenei also pointed to external forces, such as Israel and the United States, as those inciting the protests. He blamed the fall of the rial's exchange rate on the "enemy," claiming that "instigators or hired" individuals are behind the protesters shouting anti-Islamic and anti-Iranian slogans.
These comments came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington would "come to help" if Tehran "harshly deals with peaceful demonstrators."
According to media reports, protests triggered by economic difficulties have already resulted in the deaths of ten people in Iran. These are the largest unrest since the protests of 2022, which occurred after the death of Mahsa Amini.
On Saturday night, two new casualties were reported. One of them died in Qom as a result of a grenade explosion; according to the state publication IRAN, he was likely planning an attack on civilians. The second victim was a member of the Basij, a volunteer force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and was killed in the city of Karsin.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists agency, demonstrations have spread to about 100 settlements in 22 out of 31 provinces of Iran.
