Iran’s Khamenei lashes out as Tehran struggles to quell protests

Supreme leader warns against foreign enemies and reiterates threat that authorities will crack down on the unrest.Published On 9 Jan 2026Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for “unity” in the face of “terrorist actions” as mass protests continue to rock the country.In an address broadcast on Iranian state TV on Friday, Khamenei warned against the protests, which the authorities have framed as a plot by foreign enemies, primarily the United States, and reiterated a threat that authorities will crack down on the unrest.Khamenei accused the protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump, saying rioters were attacking public property and warning that ‍Tehran would not tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners”. He accused Trump of having hands “stained with the blood” of Iranians.Tehran is struggling to gain control of the situation, which has seen dozens of protesters and at least four members of the security forces killed since the demonstrations started on December 28.While President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for restraint and for the state to listen to “genuine” grievances, other voices have warned that the authorities will show no leniency, noting that the protests have received support from “foreign foes”.Cut offThe protests over economic hardship ⁠were set off by Tehran shopkeepers angered by a sharp slide in the rial currency.Authorities cut off access to the internet on Thursday in an apparent move to suppress the protest movement. The blackout was maintained on Friday, while the phone system was also down, and airlines cancelled flights in and out of the country.However, videos shared by activists purported to show protesters chanting against the government around bonfires as debris littered the streets in the capital, Tehran, and other areas.