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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised nationwide pro-government rallies on Monday, calling the turnout a "warning" to the United States as anti-government protests entered their 16th day amid worsening economic conditions.
Speaking on state television, Khamenei said, "This was a warning to American politicians to stop their deceit and not rely on treacherous mercenaries," after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if Iranian authorities killed protesters.
"These massive rallies, full of determination, have thwarted the plan of foreign enemies that were supposed to be carried out by domestic mercenaries," he added.
Pro-government demonstrations were staged in several areas across the country on Monday, as anti-government protests continued in parallel. In Tehran, crowds gathered at Enghelab Square, a major central thoroughfare near the University of Tehran, waving Iranian flags and condemning recent violence in public places.
Rallies were also reported in cities including Kerman, Zahedan, and Birjand in eastern Iran.
Participants at the pro-government rallies called on authorities to address economic grievances while rejecting what they described as foreign interference in Iran’s domestic affairs.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told a rally in Tehran that "the defenders of Iran" would teach the U.S. president "an unforgettable lesson."
Several senior officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, were present at the rally.
The anti-government protests began last month amid worsening economic conditions and a sharp depreciation of the national currency, the rial, which has fallen to 145,000 against the U.S. dollar, driving up prices of essential goods.
There are no official casualty figures from the ongoing unrest. However, HRANA, a U.S.-based rights group, estimates that at least 544 people, including both security forces and protesters, have been killed, with more than 1,000 injured. HRANA also reported that at least 10,681 people have been detained across protests in 585 locations nationwide, including 186 cities in all 31 provinces.
NetBlocks, a London-based internet monitoring group, said Iran has remained offline for 96 hours, with fixed-line internet, mobile data and calls disabled nationwide since Jan. 8.
The unrest has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened tension between Tehran and Washington. Reports indicate that President Trump, who had previously vowed to "come to the rescue" of Iranian protesters, is considering several options to support the protests.
According to U.S. news website Axios, Trump is expected to meet with his national security team to discuss possible actions regarding Iran.
Iranian officials have accused the United States and Israel of backing what they describe as armed rioters who carried out several attacks in public places nationwide.
The Iranian Intelligence Ministry said 273 weapons were seized and three people arrested during the transit of an international cargo truck through the country. The ministry also reported the arrest of a five-member terrorist cell linked to a banned Kurdish party in the city of Khorramabad. Authorities further detained 15 people over alleged links to Persian-language opposition channels operating outside Iran.
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