Protests in Iran, army emphasizes on 'foiling enemy plots'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed on Friday that the Islamic Republic would not yield to the largest protest movement in decades, as authorities expanded a crackdown on internet access that has already left dozens dead.

The protests, which have been going on for 13 days in various cities, were sparked by outrage over rising prices and have now expanded to include demands for the downfall of the theocratic regime that has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution and ousted its first pro-Western shah.

Internet monitor NetBlocks said authorities had imposed a "nationwide internet outage" in the past 24 hours that was violating Iranians' rights and "aimed at concealing organized violence".

Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights had previously reported that at least 51 protesters had been killed, including nine children under the age of 18, and hundreds injured.

The demonstrations are one of the biggest challenges to the Islamic Republic in its more than five decades.

Thursday night's protests were the largest in Iran since nationwide rallies in 2022-2023 following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress codes.

However, Khamenei adopted a tough tone in his first public comments on the escalating protests since January 1, calling protesters "thugs" and "vandals" in a televised address.

Khamenei said the United States had supported and participated in a war against the Islamic Republic in June last year, and that former US President Donald Trump's "hands are stained with the blood of thousands of Iranians".

He predicted that the "arrogant" US leader would be "ousted" like the royal family that ruled Iran until the 1979 revolution.

Addressing supporters, he said, "Last night, some thugs came to Tehran and tried to destroy a building that belongs to them in order to please the US president." The crowd chanted "Death to America".

"Everyone knows that the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people; it will not be intimidated by vandals," he said.

Trump said in a statement on Thursday that "the fervor that is taking place in Iran is unbelievable" and warned that if Iranian authorities responded to protesters by killing them, "we will impose great punishment on them. We are ready for it."

In a Fox News interview, Trump also suggested that the 86-year-old Khamenei may be planning to leave Iran. "He's thinking of leaving," Trump said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is on a visit to Lebanon, accused Washington and Israel of directly interfering and trying to turn "peaceful protests into riots and violence".

The exiled son of Iran's former shah appealed to US President Donald Trump for immediate intervention amid ongoing protests.

Reza Pahlavi wrote on social media, "Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate appeal for your attention, support, and action. Please prepare to intervene to help the people of Iran."

Pahlavi, who lives in the Washington area, did not specify what kind of intervention he was requesting, but pointed to the danger of an internet shutdown and the use of force against protesters.

He wrote that "I have called on people to come to the streets for freedom and to overwhelm security forces with sheer numbers."

Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that the punishment of "rioters" would be "decisive, severe, and without leniency".

He said a prosecutor and several members of the security forces were killed in protests in the eastern city of Izeh on Thursday.

The security force responsible for protecting the regime, the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence branch, said that "the continuation of this situation is unacceptable" and that protecting the revolution was its "red line".

The Iranian military said it would monitor enemy movements in the region to protect "national interests, strategic infrastructure, and public funds". The statement came as protests and unrest entered their 14th day in several cities across Iran.

The military claimed that the enemy was seeking to harm the civilian system and security under a "new conspiracy" with the help of Israel and terrorist groups based near Iran. The statement said the same enemy that had shed Iranian blood in a "12-day war" was now trying to spread unrest through false accusations.

The military called on the public to be "vigilant" and "united", and said it would continue to monitor and protect key assets in the region under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and in cooperation with other armed forces.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor of East Azerbaijan, Mousa Khodabakhshi, announced the seizure of 220 weapons and the arrest of three smugglers in Tabriz. The confiscated weapons included 100 pistols and 120 rifles, which were smuggled through border routes and were intended to be distributed to other provinces.

These measures came as protests against economic hardship have been ongoing in Iran since December 28. According to the human rights organization Hrana, at least 65 people have been killed, including four security personnel, and more than 2,311 people have been arrested in 37 cities across 24 provinces.

New protests took place in Tehran on Thursday, where demonstrators took to the streets in the Saadat Abad neighborhood, banging pots and pans and chanting slogans. Social media and verified footage by the French news agency showed glimpses of protests in Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Qom.

Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi warned of a possible "massacre" by security forces, while NetBlocks said the government was trying to conceal its atrocities by shutting down the internet across the country. According to the Iran Human Rights organization, at least 51 people, including nine children, have been killed and hundreds injured in the protests.

The mayor of Tehran reported that 42 buses, several cars, ambulances, and 10 government buildings were set on fire. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the government would not back down in the face of "saboteurs". Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian accused the US and Israel of interfering in the protests, while US President Donald Trump said Iran was in "big trouble" and that some cities were now under the control of the people.

The former shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, also called for immediate US intervention. The protests are the largest since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 and come amid the backdrop of Iran's 12-day war with Israel and UN sanctions.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, have condemned the use of violence and force against protesters. Meanwhile, the leaders of France, the UK, and Germany have strongly condemned the killings.