Khamenei rallies loyalists as Iran’s protests deepen and the crackdown hardens

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for “unity” in the face of what he described as “terrorist actions”, as mass protests continue to shake the country and the authorities signal a tougher response.

In an address broadcast on state television on Friday, Khamenei warned against the demonstrations, which officials have cast as a foreign-backed plot, primarily driven by the United States. He reiterated that the state would not tolerate the unrest and made clear that a crackdown remains on the table.

Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump, claiming rioters were attacking public property and serving as “mercenaries for foreigners”. He said Trump’s hands were “stained with the blood” of Iranians.

Tehran has struggled to regain control since the protests erupted on December 28, with dozens of demonstrators and at least four members of the security forces reported killed so far.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a more cautious tone, calling for restraint and urging the state to listen to “genuine” grievances. But hardline voices have been louder, warning that there would be no leniency and pointing to alleged support for the protests from Iran’s “foreign foes”.

The unrest was initially sparked by economic anger, particularly among Tehran shopkeepers, after a sharp plunge in the value of the rial.

As protests spread, authorities cut internet access nationwide on Thursday, a move widely seen as an attempt to blunt mobilisation and limit the flow of images. The blackout continued into Friday, with phone services also disrupted and flights in and out of the country cancelled.

Despite the shutdown, videos shared by activists appeared to show protesters chanting anti-government slogans around bonfires, with debris strewn across streets in Tehran and other cities.

Breaking its silence on Friday, Iranian state media claimed that “terrorist agents” linked to the US and Israel had set fires and fuelled violence. It acknowledged “casualties” without providing details.

Trump, meanwhile, renewed his own rhetoric. On Thursday, he warned that Washington would not allow Tehran to kill protesters.

Iran has “been told very strongly … that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell,” he said in an interview.

At the same time, Trump ruled out meeting with Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s self-styled “Crown Prince” and the son of the last shah, signalling that the US is not prepared to openly back an alternative leadership if the government collapses.

In his televised address, Khamenei dismissed the demonstrators as people “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy”, again referring to Trump.

As he spoke, members of the audience could be heard chanting: “Death to America!”