Iran's Khamenei says rioters 'must be put in their place' amid protests

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/3/irans-khamenei-says-rioters-must-
be-put-in-their-place-amid-protests

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has insisted that “rioters 
must be put in their place” after a week of protests that have shaken the 
Islamic Republic.

The first comments by 86-year-old Khamenei on Saturday come as violence 
surrounding the demonstrations over Iran’s ailing economy has killed at 
least 10 people.

The protests show no sign of stopping and come as United States President 
Donald Trump threatened Iran on Friday that if Tehran “violently kills 
peaceful protesters”, Washington “will come to their rescue”.

While it remains unclear how and if Trump will intervene, especially in 
the wake of a huge US military attack on Venezuela and the purported 
capture of its President Nicolas Maduro, his comments led to an immediate, 
angry response from Iranian officials.

Iran’s United Nations Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has written to the UN 
secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council, urging 
them to condemn “unlawful threats” towards Tehran from Trump.

Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has said 
that US interference “is equivalent to chaos across the entire region and 
the destruction of American interests”.

The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 
22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide 
demonstrations.

However, the protests have yet to be as widespread and intense as those 
surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her 
hijab, or headscarf, as authorities demanded.

Speaking to an audience in Tehran, state television aired remarks by 
Khamenei that sought to separate the concerns of protesting Iranians, 
upset about the rial’s collapse, from “rioters”.

“We talk to protesters, the officials must talk to them,” Khamenei said. 
“But there is no benefit to talking to rioters. Rioters must be put in 
their place.”

He reiterated a claim constantly made by officials in Iran, that foreign 
powers like Israel or the US were pushing the protests, without offering 
any evidence. He also blamed “the enemy” for Iran’s collapsing rial.

“A bunch of people incited or hired by the enemy are getting behind the 
tradesmen and shopkeepers and chanting slogans against Islam, Iran and the 
Islamic Republic,” he said. “This is what matters most.”

Khamenei also said the US “must and will leave” the region.

“With the determination of the region’s nations, America must and will 
leave this region,” he said.

Economic downturn
Iran’s civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has 
been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters.

However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Iran’s 
rial has rapidly depreciated. That prompted the initial protests.

The protests, taking root in economic issues, have seen demonstrators 
chant against Iran’s government, as well, with clashes happening in 
multiple cities, leading to several deaths and dozens of arrests, 
according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran has had little luck in propping up its economy in the months since 
its June war with Israel, in which the US also bombed nuclear sites in 
Iran.

Iran recently said it was no longer enriching uranium at any site in the 
country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential 
negotiations over its atomic programme to ease sanctions.

However, those talks have yet to happen as Trump and Israeli Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not only threatened Tehran against 
reconstituting its nuclear programme, but now have Iran’s missile 
programme in their crosshairs.


-- 
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump.  We look 
forward to America being great again.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.

Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama 
/ Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.