Iran's supreme leader has blamed the US and Israel for the protests that have swept the country since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
In his first public comments on the unrest, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "the protests were instigated by Iran's arch-enemies and their allies."
"Amin's death broke our hearts, but what is not normal is that some people, without evidence or investigation, have made the roads dangerous, burned the Koran, removed hijabs from veiled women and set mosques on fire." he said during a graduation ceremony of police and armed forces cadets on Monday.
Ajatollahi shtoi se “fuqitë e huaja kishin planifikuar trazira sepse nuk mund të toleronin që Irani të fitonte forcë në të gjitha sferat”.
“Unë e them qartë se këto trazira dhe pasiguri janë krijuar nga Amerika dhe regjimi okupues, [Izraeli], si dhe agjentët e tyre të paguar, me ndihmën e disa iranianëve tradhtarë jashtë vendit,” u shpreh ai.
Komentet e Ayatollah Khamenei-t erdhën një ditë pasi forcat e sigurisë goditën me dhunë një protestë të studentëve në universitetin më prestigjioz të shkencës dhe inxhinierisë në Iran, duke arrestuar dhjetëra prej tyre.
Protestat shpërthyen pasi Mahsa Amini, vetëm 22 vjeç, vdiq si pasojë e dhunës së ushtruar nga policia e moralit më 13 shtator në Teheran vetëm sepse ajo nuk ishte mbuluar me shami.
The girl's family accused the officers of having raped their daughter in one of the vehicles with which they accompanied her. While the Police claim that there is no evidence of any mistreatment.
Iran Human Rights said on Sunday that at least 133 people have been killed by security forces so far. 41 protesters have died in the latest clashes in Zahedan alone on Friday.