Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday signaled support for a tougher security response to nationwide protests, declaring that “rioters must be put in their place” after days of unrest driven by economic hardship and a collapsing national currency.
The remarks, Khamenei’s first since demonstrations erupted last week, are widely seen as giving security forces leeway to aggressively suppress the protests, which human rights groups say have already left at least 15 people dead and hundreds arrested.
The demonstrations, fueled by anger over inflation, unemployment and the weakening rial, have spread rapidly and now represent Iran’s largest unrest since the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. While the current protests have not yet reached the same intensity, activists say they are expanding steadily across the country.
In comments broadcast on state television, Khamenei attempted to draw a distinction between protesters voicing economic grievances and those he labeled as instigators of violence. He repeated longstanding claims by Iranian authorities that foreign powers, including the United States and Israel, were behind the unrest, without providing evidence.
The protests have unfolded amid heightened international tension. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against killing peaceful demonstrators, saying the United States would “come to their rescue” if violence escalated. Iranian officials responded angrily, threatening retaliation against American forces in the Middle East. Trump’s comments gained added significance after Washington announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a close ally of Tehran.
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, including its volunteer Basij force, has historically played a central role in quelling dissent. Past crackdowns have been deadly, with protests over fuel prices in 2019 reportedly killing hundreds, and the 2022 demonstrations leaving more than 500 dead and thousands detained.
Overnight violence marked a further escalation. In the religious city of Qom, a grenade explosion killed one man, with authorities claiming he was attempting to carry out an attack. In western Iran, a Basij member was killed in a separate incident involving gun and knife violence, according to state media.
Human rights organizations report that protests have now reached more than 170 locations across 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces. Arrests have surpassed 580, and activists accuse security forces of opening fire on demonstrators in several areas, particularly in western provinces.
The unrest comes as Iran struggles to revive its economy following months of regional conflict and renewed international pressure. Tehran has recently announced it has halted uranium enrichment, signaling openness to renewed negotiations with Western powers, though talks have yet to materialize.
Analysts say while protests may continue or intensify, the Iranian leadership still commands a vast security apparatus capable of containing unrest, even at significant human cost.
