Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave a speech on Friday as protests over economic hardships continue around the country. Khamenei sent a sharp message to US President telling him to focus on the problems in his own country.
He said that certain rioters are damaging public property in an attempt to please the US President. He also said that the Islamic Republic will not tolerate the mercenaries for foreigners.
A countrywide internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday and extended into Friday, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said. It coincided with calls for more protests from Reza Pahlavi, the long-exiled son of Iran’s last shah who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Starting in Tehran with shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar angered by a sharp slide in the rial currency, the latest protests now involve others – mainly young men rather than the women and girls who played a key role in 2022-23.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported at least 34 protesters and four security personnel killed, and 2,200 arrested during the unrest, which analysts say highlights deeper disillusionment with the status quo.
Authorities have tried to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met by dialogue, while responding to some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.
Nearly five decades after the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s Shi’ite Muslim clerical rulers are struggling to bridge the gap between its priorities and the expectations of a young society.
In the ongoing unrest, many protesters are venting anger over Iran’s support for militants around the Middle East, chanting “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran” in frustration over the authorities’ perceived neglect of domestic problems
(With inputs from Reuters)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
