Iran’s Supreme Leader Has Called Anti-Government Protesters "Vandals" Trying To "Please" Trump
“Last night in Tehran and some other places, a bunch of vandals showed up and destroyed buildings belonging to their own country, just to please the US president,” Khamenei said.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused anti-government protesters of trying to “please” US President Donald Trump after days of demonstrations swept across the country.
In mid-December, the Iranian rial reached its lowest at 1.42 million to US$1, and official records showed inflation exceeded 42% in December alone, sharply increasing the cost of goods.
On Saturday, Dec. 28, merchants in Iran’s capital Tehran began protesting soaring prices, shutting down shops in parts of the city as anger over Iran’s collapsing currency.
The protests have since spread nationwide with people protesting in more than 300 locations across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Phalavi, called on protesters to take to the streets and shout their demands.
Videos showed protesters taking to the streets chanting “Death to the dictator” and “Death to the Islamic Republic”, according to AP.
In a televised speech on Friday, Jan. 9, Khamenei called protesters “vandals”, “saboteurs” and "mercenaries for foreigners”.
“Last night in Tehran and some other places, a bunch of vandals showed up and destroyed buildings belonging to their own country, just to please the US president,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei’s comments come after Trump warned that the US could intervene if Iranian authorities continued to kill protesters.
The demonstrations are the biggest in Iran since 2022, when nationwide protests rocked the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Sofia Hou
Cherry Mohamed
