TEHRAN, Jan 18 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said yesterday that, Iran had defeated the United States and Israel once again, and had “extinguished the sedition” he alleged was incited by Washington and Tel Aviv.
The remarks, posted on Khamenei’s official X account, came, as Iranian authorities appeared to have brought the situation under control, following weeks of nationwide protests.
Khamenei also described U.S. President, Donald Trump, as a “criminal,” for his administration’s support of the demonstrations, accusing Washington of inflicting economic and social harm on the Iranian people.
“America’s goal is to swallow up Iran,” Khamenei said. “Iran will not engage in war, but it will not refrain from punishing those responsible for unrest, both inside the country and abroad.”
Protests erupted in late Dec, in several Iranian cities, initially driven by a sharp depreciation of the rial and surging inflation. While authorities acknowledged the legitimacy of economic grievances, they warned that lawful demonstrations had been hijacked by “vandals.”
The unrest intensified early this month, becoming increasingly violent and resulting in casualties, as well as, extensive damage to public property, including mosques and government buildings. On Friday, security forces detained about 3,000 people, in connection with the “riots.”– NNN-TASNIM