Khamenei described the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini within the custody of Iran’s morality police, which set off the nationwide protests, as “a tragic incident” that “left us heartbroken.” Nonetheless, he sharply condemned the protests as a overseas plot to destabilize Iran, echoing authorities’ earlier feedback.
“This rioting was deliberate,” he instructed a cadre of police college students in Tehran. “I say clearly that these riots and insecurities have been designed by America and the Zionist regime, and their staff.”
He added of the protests, “Such actions aren’t regular, are unnatural.”
His feedback come as nationwide protests sparked by Amini’s demise entered their third week regardless of the federal government’s efforts to crack down.