Khamenei Comments on the Protests in Iran

A fresh round of protests in Iran, beginning December 31, 2025, was sparked by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar reacting to the collapse of the rial against the U.S. dollar. As in previous protest cycles, the demonstrations quickly spread to merchants in other cities and mobilized additional social groups, notably university students. And they evolved into overtly anti-regime protests, with participants chanting slogans such as “death to the dictator.” In his first public comments on the protests, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei admitted the merchants are right to protest the current state of the economy, but he blamed the country’s economic problems on “the enemy” and demanded a firm stance against “rioters” who chant slogans against the regime.

• January 3: Addressing the public on the anniversary of the assassination of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander, Qassim Suleimani, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei discussed the protests in comments transcribed on his official website:
  • “Yes, these gatherings were mostly organized by the bazaar merchants, and what they were saying was correct … When a merchant looks at the country’s monetary situation – the decline in the value of the national currency … it causes instability in the business environment … The officials of the country recognize this, and I know that the honorable president and other senior officials are trying to resolve this problem.”
  • He noted, though, that the current state of Iran’s economy “is not natural; this is the enemy’s doing.”
  • Turning to protesters who chant slogans against the regime, Khamenei said: “When a group of incited, hired agents of the enemy stand behind the merchants and chant slogans against Islam, Iran, and the Islamic Republic – that is what matters. Protest is justified, but protest is different from rioting. We speak with protesters; officials must speak with protesters. But speaking with rioters is useless – rioters must be dealt with accordingly.”

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