Iran’s supreme leader has blamed the US and Israel for the protests sweeping the country following the death of a woman whilst in police custody.
In his first public comments on the unrest, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “riots” had been “engineered” by Iran’s arch-enemies and their allies.
The protests are the biggest challenge to his rule for a decade, and he urged security forces to be ready for more.
The US said it was “appalled” by the violent response to the protests.
President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he was “gravely concerned” about reports of the “intensifying violent crackdown on peaceful protesters”.
Those protesters were calling for “just and universal principles”, he said, adding that the US “stands with Iranian women” who were “inspiring the world with their bravery”. (BBC)