Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday (January 9) accused protesters of acting on behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In an address broadcast on state TV, He said rioters were attacking public properties and warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as "mercenaries for foreigners".
Khamenei said “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 U.S. president.”
“The Islamic Republic was established with the blood of several hundred thousand honourable people, and it will not back down in the face of those who engage in destruction, nor will it tolerate mercenaries serving foreign powers.” he added.
The Iranian leader, who has been in power since 1989, also said that President Trump's hands "are stained with blood of more than a thousand Iranian martyred during the 12-day war [with Israel]".
Iran's fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests on Friday with Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of the late ruling shah, telling Iranians in a social media post: "The eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets."
Trump, who bombed Iran last summer and who last week warned Tehran it could come to the protesters' aid, said on Friday he would not meet Pahlavi and was "not sure that it would be appropriate" to back him.
Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb expanding protests, with phone calls not reaching the country, flights cancelled and online Iranian news sites only intermittently updating.
The protests that began over soaring inflation in the Islamic Republic late last month have spiralled into the biggest for three years, with unrest reported in every province and rights groups documenting dozens of deaths.
Meanwhile the protests have led to travel disruptions as Flydubai cancelled all flights to Iran.
An airline person confirmed to BBC that all of its flights to Iran today have been cancelled due to the ongoing unrest in the country.
The company says it will continue to monitor the situation closely and stay in touch with passengers affected.
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More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (25 April), in an assault apparently involving jihadist and Tuareg-led groups.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war suffered a setback on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a planned envoy visit to Pakistan for talks, even as parallel regional diplomacy continued and military tensions escalated in Lebanon.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
An additional consignment of Russian wheat has been dispatched to Armenia via Azerbaijan transit routes on 24 April, continuing a series of deliveries using regional rail corridors.
France and Armenia are set to strengthen cooperation in defence, technology and the economy during a state visit by President Emmanuel Macron, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister has confirmed.
Around 14% of Central Asia’s population - about 12 million people - are facing food shortages, according to the United Nations. The issue was a central focus at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana.
Türkiye sent six trucks carrying critical medical supplies to Iran on Thursday, reinforcing humanitarian assistance amid challenging cross-border conditions.
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