Iranians stitchery portion blocking a thoroughfare during a protestation successful Kermanshah, Iran connected January 8, 2026.
Kamran | Afp | Getty Images
Iran's ultimate person connected Friday lashed retired astatine anti-government protesters, saying they were "vandals" acting connected behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump by destroying nationalist properties.
In a broadcast connected nationalist television, reported by Reuters, Ali Khamenei warned Tehran would not tolerate "mercenaries for foreigners."
"The Islamic Republic came to powerfulness done the humor of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It volition not backmost down successful the look of vandals," Khamenei said.
His comments came arsenic the state of 92 cardinal recovered itself mostly chopped disconnected from the satellite connected Friday, with authorities seeking to quell the sprawling protests by blacking retired the internet.
The demonstrations, which began successful Tehran's bazaar connected Dec. 28, person been fueled by increasing frustrations implicit a long-running economical crisis, peculiarly the government's handling of a crisp autumn successful the nation's currency and soaring prices.
The standard of the unrest makes it 1 of the wide demonstrations successful caller years, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), with dozens reported killed and astir 2,300 arrested oregon detained. HRANA, a U.S.-registered non-profit, relies connected an activistic web wrong Iran for its reporting.
Iranian person Ali Khamenei comments connected the caller protests against economical conditions connected Iranian State Television successful the superior Tehran connected January 9, 2026.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
The protests person besides revived concerns astir imaginable American intervention. Trump said past week that if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters," past the U.S. volition "come to their rescue."
"We are locked and loaded and acceptable to go," Trump wrote successful a post connected Truth Social connected Jan 2.
Iran's ultimate person advisor Ali Larijani reportedly responded astatine the clip by saying that U.S. interference successful Iran's protests was equivalent to chaos crossed the full region.
Iran, which is simply a subordinate of OPEC, is simply a large subordinate successful the planetary lipid market.
Oil prices were past seen trading higher arsenic vigor marketplace participants continued to show concerns implicit the disruption successful Iran.
International benchmark Brent crude futures with March expiry traded up 0.9% astatine $62.52 a tube connected Friday, portion U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with February expiry stood astatine $58.29, up 0.9% for the session.
— CNBC's April Roach and Anniek Bao contributed to this report.
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