Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called for rioters to be disciplined following protests over the country’s struggling economy, the largest since demonstrations in 2022 after Mahsa Amini’s death. Khamenei distinguished between protesters and rioters, stating that officials should engage with peaceful demonstrators but that rioters “must be put in their place.”
The unrest has resulted in at least 10 deaths so far, including two reported overnight: one in Qom following a grenade explosion and another in Harsin, a member of the Basij paramilitary forces, according to state-owned IRAN newspaper citing security officials. Demonstrations have spread across 100 locations in 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.
Khamenei suggested external powers, including Israel and the US, are influencing the protests without providing evidence. He also blamed the collapse of the rial on “the enemy,” claiming some individuals incited unrest among tradespeople and shopkeepers against the Islamic Republic.
Tensions have escalated after US President Donald Trump said Washington would intervene if Tehran violently suppresses peaceful protesters. Tehran responded by threatening US troops in the Middle East. The situation is further complicated by reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Iran, was captured by US forces on Saturday.
Past demonstrations in Iran have been deadly. In 2019, protests over gasoline price hikes killed 300 people, while the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests resulted in more than 500 deaths and over 22,000 detentions.
