Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed nationwide unrest in a pre-recorded speech aired on Channel 1, accusing foreign “enemies” of engineering currency hikes and inciting protests within Iran.
Khamenei claimed that the surge in foreign currency rates was “not natural” and alleged that “enemy mercenaries” were provoking unrest among Bazaari merchants by chanting slogans against Islam and the regime. He warned that rioters must be “put in their place,” declaring that Iran would “bring the enemy down to its knees.”
The audience responded with chants of “Death to the hypocrites,” followed by “Death to America,” “Death to England,” and “Death to Israel.”
NEWSRAEL: WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
Khamenei’s rhetoric reflects the Iranian regime’s long-standing strategy of externalizing domestic crises by blaming foreign enemies, while signaling readiness to escalate repression at home. The explicit calls to subdue protesters and the renewed public chants against Israel and Western countries underscore Tehran’s ideological posture and the potential for increased internal crackdowns and external confrontation.