Khamenei Says Government 'Will Not Back Down' as Protests Spread

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Friday in Tehran that the government "will not back down" as protests that began in late December have spread across the country, dismissing demonstrators as "vandals" trying to "please" President Trump. The demonstrations, initially led by merchants protesting the plummeting value of the rial, expanded to cities nationwide and turned deadly.

Amnesty International said at least 28 protesters and bystanders, including children, were killed between Dec. 31 and Jan. 3, while three other monitoring groups put the toll at more than 40. Videos verified by The New York Times showed government buildings on fire across the country, including footage of fires in Kaj Square in Tehran, and Iran experienced an internet blackout on Thursday as the unrest spread.

Mr. Khamenei, 86, who has led Iran for three decades and sits above other branches of government, struck a more confrontational tone than President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had urged "tolerance and dialogue" and said "any violent and coercive behavior" should be avoided. During the speech a crowd chanted "Death to America"; Mr.

Khamenei accused Mr. Trump of siding with "rioters" and said the United States' hands were "stained with the blood" of Iranians killed in a 12-day war with Israel last June. He urged young people to "preserve" their religion and "political thought" and warned the government would not tolerate those he said were "working for foreigners." Mr.

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World, Ali Khamenei, Iran, Tehran, Iran Protests, Iranian Rial