Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised today "the massive movement of the people against the conspiracy of the enemy", accusing the United States, Israel and an exiled opposition group of having planned the recent protests that shake the country.
According to Iranian state media, demonstrations in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran were held over the past ten days across the country to condemn the violence and unrest that affected dozens of Iranian cities between December 28 and 1 January, causing the death of at least 22 people, including 17 protesters.
Khamenei, in a speech whose audio recording was broadcast by Iranian state media, said: "popular mobilization against the enemy's conspiracy against the government does not exist anywhere in the world"; the ayatollah Khamenei then pointed the finger at "the United States and the Zionists" accusing them of having planned for "several months" the protests in "small cities to extend them then to the capital, this will not remain unanswered - added Khamenei. Khamenei then accused the gulf governments of having financed the operations, carried out by a group of exiles, known as Mujahedin del Popolo, who oppose the ayatollahs.