TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday vowed that the government would not retreat in the face of nationwide protests, as demonstrations over rising living costs intensified and appeared to be the largest in nearly two weeks.
Protesters chanting slogans such as “death to the dictator” marched through major cities late Thursday, setting fire to government buildings and clashing with authorities. The demonstrations have emerged as one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in decades, with calls openly questioning the country’s theocratic rule.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported that authorities imposed a nationwide internet blackout late Thursday, adding that Iran remained offline for more than 12 hours in what appeared to be an attempt to curb the spread of protests.
In his first public remarks since the unrest began on January 3, Khamenei adopted a defiant tone, labeling protesters as “vandals” and “saboteurs” during a speech broadcast on state television.
He accused the United States of instigating the unrest and said former US president Donald Trump’s hands were “stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians,” referring to US-backed actions during a previous conflict involving Israel. Khamenei predicted that Trump would face the same fate as Iran’s former monarchy, overthrown in the 1979 revolution.
“The Islamic Republic was established through the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of honorable people and will not back down before saboteurs,” Khamenei said, as supporters in attendance chanted anti-American slogans.
Trump, responding late Thursday, said there was “incredible enthusiasm” to overthrow Iran’s leadership and warned that severe consequences would follow if protesters were killed.
Verified videos reviewed by AFP showed large crowds and honking vehicles along Tehran’s Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, with demonstrators chanting against the supreme leader. Similar protests were reported in Tabriz, Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Isfahan, where footage showed fires at the entrance of a state television building.
Additional videos appeared to show flames at a governor’s office in Shazand, though the images could not be independently verified.
The protests mark the largest unrest since the 2022–23 demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. Rights groups have alleged that security forces have fired on demonstrators in recent days, resulting in dozens of deaths, though footage from Tehran did not show visible security intervention.
Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah and now based in the United States, called for larger demonstrations on Friday, saying mass participation weakens the government’s ability to repress dissent