Ayatollah Khamenei laid the blame on the US president for fomenting unrest as protests across Iran continued despite the internet blackout after Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late former shah, called for mass demonstrations demanding freedom, Euronews reports.
Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy” in reference to US President Donald Trump, as demonstrations continued into Friday despite a nationwide internet and telephone blackout.
The 86-year-old leader signalled authorities would crack down on demonstrators during a brief televised address, as an audience shouted “Death to America”.
Protesters marched through Tehran and other cities on Thursday night after Reza Pahlavi called for mass demonstrations. Short videos shared by activists showed demonstrators chanting against the government around bonfires as debris littered the streets.
Iranian state media broke its silence Friday over the protests, claiming “terrorist agents” of the US and Israel set fires and sparked violence. State television said there were “casualties” without providing details.
