Iran's Supreme Leader on Widening Protests: "Only Making Trump Happy"

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, stated on the 9th (local time) regarding the protests that have continued for two weeks, "Some rioters are ruining the streets and pleasing the presidents of other countries."

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Yonhap News Agency

In a speech broadcast on state-run IRIB that day, Ayatollah Khamenei made remarks targeting U.S. President Donald Trump, who has hinted at intervening in the situation in Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei said, "(President Trump has) the blood of more than 1,000 Iranians on his hands," and added, "Take care of your own country's affairs." This is believed to refer to the U.S. involvement when Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities and other sites in June of last year.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the protesters as "vandals," "saboteurs," and "mercenaries for foreigners," declaring, "We will never back down."

The protests in Iran, which began on December 28 in the capital Tehran, are spreading across the country. Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), based in the United States, reported that as of the previous day, 42 people, including civilians and security forces, had died. Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based human rights organization, stated that 45 protesters had been killed.