After massive protests in Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday (June 04) said foreign ”enemies” seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic are responsible for them.
Accusing them of piracy for seizing two Greek ships after the United States confiscated Iranian oil from a tanker, Khamenei said enemies were waging a “psychological war” against Iran.
According to him, “Who is the pirate here? You stole our oil. We took it back from you. Taking back a stolen good is no theft.”
Referring to week-long protests over the collapse of a building in southwestern Iran last month that killed 37 people, Khamenei said, “Today, the enemies’ most important hope for striking a blow at the country is based on popular protests.”
During a televised speech on the 33rd anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, he highlighted that ”the enemies’ calculation is as wrong as many earlier ones.”
Repeating his call for punishment of officials responsible for the collapse of the 10-storey Metropol tower block in Abadan, Khamenei said the United States is seeking to use protests to weaken the Islamic republic.
In an apparent attempt to stop the use of social media to organise rallies and disseminate videos, Iran residents have reported disrupted internet services.
Iran, which has been reeling under the effect of sanctions imposed by the United States since 2018, has witnessed waves of protests over living conditions in recent years.
Exacerbated by rising prices worldwide since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, demonstrations against the rising cost of living and corruption have occurred in several Iranian cities.
(With inputs from agencies)
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