Jan 9 (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will speak within minutes about “acts of terror” in the country, state television reported on Friday, as nationwide protests over economic hardship continue.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran reported a nationwide internet outage on Thursday that lasted until Friday. Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last king who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution and has lived in exile, has called for more protests.
Beginning in Tehran, where shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar are angry over the sharp devaluation of the rial currency, the latest protests now involve others – mainly young men, rather than the women and girls who will play a key role in 2022-23.
The US-based Activists News Agency reported that at least 34 protesters and four security personnel were killed and 2,200 people arrested during the unrest, which analysts said highlighted deeper disillusionment with the status quo.
The authorities have tried to adopt a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be responded to through dialogue, while using tear gas in response to some demonstrations amid violent street confrontations.
Nearly five years after the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s Shiite Muslim clerical rulers are trying to bridge the gap between their priorities and the expectations of a young society.
Amid the ongoing unrest, many protesters expressed anger at Iran’s support for militants across the Middle East, chanting “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life belongs to Iran” and frustrated with authorities perceived to be neglecting domestic problems.
(Reporting by Pariza Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Heinrich)
