Leader urges crackdown on rioters exploiting legitimate protests

TABNAK, Jan. 03 - Leader called on the security forces to intensify the crackdown on the enemy's mercenaries who try to undermine the country's security through riots.

News ID: 7085

Date: 03 January 2026 - 16:44

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the enemy is behind the economic problems in the country through the rial depreciation, calling for an intensified crackdown on foreign-backed rioters.

The Leader held a meeting with the families of the martyrs of the 12-day war against the United States-backed Israeli regime on Father's Day, which marks Imam Ali birthday anniversary and martyrdom anniversary of former IRGC Quds Force commander Lt. General Qasem Soleimani on Saturday at Imam Khomeini Hussainyeh in downtown Tehran.

"We will not back down in the face of the enemy. By relying on God Almighty and trusting in the support of the people, we will bring the enemy to his knees with divine success," said the Leader after blaming the foreign enemies for depreciations of the rial and its fluctuations.

He pointed to recent protests held in Tehran by traders and shopkeepers over the currency fluctuations, saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran respects the right to protest while it cannot tolerate riots.

"The uncontrolled rise in foreign currency prices [against the rial] is not natural and is the work of the enemy, which has to be stopped," he said, stressing that "We talk to the protestor, but there's no point in talking to the rioter."

"A bunch of mercenaries hired by the enemy infiltrated in the ranks of the shopkeepers and traders and chanted anti-Islam, anti-Iran, and anti-Islamic Republic slogans," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He called on the security forces to intensify the crackdown on the enemy's mercenaries who try to undermine the country's security through riots.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the president and senior officials are tying hard to tackle the economic problems