Khamenei calls for crackdown on ‘rioters’ amid growing concern over Trump’s Venezuela move

Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): Protests in Iran, sparked by the deteriorating economic situation and the continued weakening of the currency, the rial, have now turned violent. Amid the unrest that has persisted for the past week, the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has given his first public response. He has instructed security forces to crack down on those who resort to violence, while maintaining dialogue with peaceful protesters.

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei orders 'rioters' to be crushed, Trump's Venezuela action increases his unease: In his address broadcast on state television, 86-year-old Khamenei said that it is important to differentiate between demonstrations and riots. According to him, peaceful protesters should be heard, but any leniency towards those who spread violence is not appropriate. He blamed foreign powers like America and Israel for the current situation and also described the fall of the rial as a "conspiracy of the enemies".

Protests have spread to 22 of the country's 31 provinces. Two more people were killed in clashes on Saturday night, raising the death toll to 10. A grenade explosion in the city of Qom killed one person. According to state media, the man was allegedly carrying a grenade with the intention of attacking people. Additionally, a member of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij unit was killed in a gunfight and knife attack in the city of Harsin.

Meanwhile, international tensions have also risen. US President Donald Trump has warned that the US could intervene if peaceful protesters in Iran are harmed. Trump's subsequent announcement of the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has further increased the Iranian leadership's concerns. In response, Iranian officials have threatened to target US military bases in the Middle East.

Human rights groups say protests are taking place in more than 100 locations across the country. While the movement is not as widespread as the demonstrations that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, the deepening economic crisis and the historic decline of the rial have clearly exposed public anger.