Donald Trump says the US is ‘locked and loaded and ready to go’
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting in Tehran. Photo: AP
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to yield after US president Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters, as rights groups reported a sharp rise in arrests following days of unrest sparked by soaring inflation.
Speaking in a recorded appearance on TV yesterday, Khamenei said the Islamic Republic “will not yield to the enemy” and said rioters should be “put in their place”.
Rights groups say more than 10 people have been killed and scores detained in demonstrations that flared across Iran since last Sunday as the collapsing rial currency hits an economy undermined by sanctions.
Authorities have attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met by dialogue, while meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.
“The bazaaris were right. They are right to say they cannot do business in these conditions,” said Khamenei, referring to market traders’ concerns over the currency slide.
“We will speak with the protesters but talking to rioters is useless. Rioters should be put in their place.”
Reports of violence centred on small cities in Iran’s western provinces, where several people have been killed. Authorities said two members of the security services had died and more than a dozen were injured.
Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group, said late on Friday that it had identified 133 people arrested, an increase of 77 from the previous day.
Mr Trump said the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” but did not specify what action it might take against Iran, where it carried out airstrikes last summer, joining an Israeli campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear sites and military leaders.
The threat of action adds to the pressure on Iran’s leaders as they navigate one of the most difficult periods in decades, with the sanctions-hit economy shrinking and the government struggling to provide water and electricity in some regions.
Rights groups such as Hengaw and activists posting on social media reported continued protests and violence by security forces across Iran, while state-affiliated media reported what it called attacks on property by infiltrators “in the name of protest”.
State television reported arrests of people accused of manufacturing petrol bombs and home-made pistols.
Numerous social media posts said there was unrest in a number of cities and towns, as well as three districts of the capital Tehran.