Khamenei acknowledges legitimacy of demands as protests continue

Khamenei said today that the economic demands of protesters are “justified,” noting that the authorities are aware of the difficult living conditions and are working to address them, as demonstrations continue for a seventh consecutive day in several Iranian cities.

In official remarks, Khamenei stated that “the country’s authorities acknowledge the economic hardships, and the president and senior officials are working to resolve this problem,” adding that “traders’ protests over this situation are a legitimate right.” At the same time, he stressed the need to “put an end to rioters,” saying that dialogue is possible with protesters, but “ineffective with those who resort to violence.”

In the same context, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported the killing of a member of the Basij security forces, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after he was “stabbed and shot” in the city of Harsin in western Iran, during gatherings the agency described as involving armed “rioters.”

The agency, citing a statement by the IRGC, said the deceased was named Ali Azizi and that he was killed on Friday evening.

Iran has witnessed protests in recent days sparked by deteriorating living conditions, rising prices, and the decline of the national currency, before later expanding to include demands of a political nature.

According to an AFP tally based on official data and media reports, the protests have spread to at least 25 cities, most of them medium-sized, in western and southwestern Iran, with sporadic clashes reported.

ANHA