Iran’s Khamenei lashes out at protesters as nationwide anti-regime unrest grows

The ruling Ayatollah of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, connected Saturday issued an aggravated effect to the unfolding nationwide demonstrations against his regime’s governmental and economical corruption.

The 86-year-old Khamenei declared successful his archetypal nationalist code since the strikes and societal unrest rocked his fragile authorities 7 days agone that, "A fig of agitated people, force mercenaries, had positioned themselves down bazaar merchants and chanted slogans against Islam, against Iran and against the Islamic Republic."

He added, "Protest is legitimate, but protestation is antithetic from rioting," but warned that "officials should talk with protesters. Speaking with a rioter is pointless. Rioters indispensable beryllium enactment successful their place."

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Khamenei’s branding of the pro-democracy activists arsenic "rioters" follows President Trump’s unprecedented connection of solidarity to the demonstrators connected Friday. "If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America volition travel to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and acceptable to go," wrote Trump connected the Truth Social media platform.

According to accusation supplied to Fox News Digital from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an enactment that seeks to topple Khamenei’s regime, Khamenei’s information forces again opened occurrence connected protesters.

In Malekshahi, Ilam province, young radical demonstrated. The regime’s forces shot peaceful activists, resulting successful deaths and injuries.

In this photograph released connected Thursday, June 26, 2025, by the authoritative website of the bureau of the Iranian ultimate leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks successful a televised speech, nether a representation of the precocious revolutionary laminitis Ayatollah Khomeini. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

As of Saturday, the authorities has killed astatine slightest 10 people. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said demonstrations unfolded successful much than 100 locations successful 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces. The NCRI said 30 protesters successful Malekshahi were changeable and were successful captious condition.

The dissident radical besides said that connected Saturday the radical of Kazerun demonstrated successful the city's Shohada Square, wherever information fired unrecorded ammunition astatine the protesters. Young anti-regime demonstrators successful the Golshan territory of Shiraz blocked the roadworthy by mounting tires connected fire.

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A protester faces Iranian information forces during clashes amid nationwide unrest, according to images released by the Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) (NCRI )

Students astatine Shahrood University of Technology chanted, "Students volition dice but not judge humiliation,'" and students astatine Allameh University's Hemmat dormitory successful Tehran, declared "Death to the dictator."

NCRI person Maryam Rajav’s effect to Khamenei connected Saturday noted that "Khamenei is right; 80 cardinal Iranians are his enemy. They person lone 1 connection for him: battalion up his regularisation and region his scourge from the Iranian people. Better inactive if helium comes to his senses and leaves of his ain accord." She added "Khamenei indispensable cognize that threats, bluster, and repression cannot halt the uprising. A federation who has taken to the streets volition not basal down until ideology and fashionable sovereignty are achieved."

Reza Pahlavi, the lad of Iran’s past Shah, wrote connected X that "Ali Khamenei, fearing the increasing waves of this nationalist uprising, has emerged from his hiding spot to endanger the radical of Iran. Khamenei: We, the radical of Iran, volition propulsion you down from your teetering perch similar Zahhak the despot and volition escaped our beloved Iran from you and your regime."

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He added, "To the subject and instrumentality enforcement forces: bash not necktie your destiny to the sinking vessel of the Islamic Republic. Join the radical and abstracted yourselves from this corrupt system. Your weapons are for defending the nation, not suppressing it. Those who occurrence bullets astatine the radical should beryllium definite that they volition beryllium identified and punished. Fellow countrymen: bash not wantonness the streets; summation your presence. The satellite sees your absorption and bravery and supports you."