Tehran [Iran], January 11 : Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the United States and Israel of seeking to destabilise the country, saying they want to "sow chaos and disorder" in Iran by ordering "riots" and urging citizens to distance themselves from "rioters and terrorists," Al Jazeera reported.
The remarks came as Iran's state media reported mounting casualties among security forces amid protests driven by an economic crisis. State television said on Sunday that 30 members of the police and security forces were killed in Isfahan province and six others in Kermanshah in western Iran during the latest unrest. The semi-official Tasnim news agency put the nationwide toll among security personnel at 109.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said one staff member died during an attack on one of its relief buildings in Gorgan, the capital of Golestan province. State media also reported that a mosque was set on fire in Mashhad in eastern Iran on Saturday night.
Iranian authorities have stepped up action to quell what has been described as the country's largest protests in years, with thousands taking to the streets in anger over the soaring cost of living and inflation. The Ministry of Interior said the "riots" were gradually subsiding, while the attorney general warned that those involved in the unrest could face the death penalty, Al Jazeera reported.
On Saturday, Ali Larijani accused some demonstrators of "killing people or burning some people, which is very similar to what ISIS does". Hassan Ahmadian, an academic at Tehran University, told Al Jazeera that the demonstrations that began two weeks ago turned violent on Thursday, calling it "one of the scariest days in Iran, including in Tehran".
"In the past two days, we saw the shrinking of those events because, of course, there are clashes and confrontations with those who resort to violence," he said. "People also started going away from those kinds of violent activities," Ahmadian added. "The majority of Iranians are not happy with the economics in Iran, but a majority of them are not happy with violence as well," he noted.
In parliament on Sunday, Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the US against "a miscalculation" following threats of military strikes by US President Donald Trump if Iranian authorities kill protesters. "Let us be clear, in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target," Qalibaf said, Al Jazeera reported.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi said Qalibaf's words were "a new level of escalation, at least rhetorically." Some lawmakers reportedly rushed the dais in parliament chanting: "Death to America!"
Asadi said the authorities were "trying to draw a line between protesters and what they call rioters," and noted that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had referred to them as saboteurs. He said the authorities maintained they recognised public economic grievances and the right to protest, while distinguishing that from violence.
Trump said on Saturday the US is "ready to help" as protesters faced an intensifying crackdown. "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. A day earlier, Trump warned Iran was in "big trouble" and said he could order strikes. "That doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard - where it hurts," he said.
A nationwide internet blackout in Iran has continued for more than 60 hours, according to NetBlocks. "The censorship measure presents a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of Iranians at a key moment for the country's future," it said on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Rada was quoted by state media as saying that the level of confrontation with rioters had been stepped up. The Iranian army said it would defend the country's "national interests" as it accused Israel and "hostile terrorist groups" of seeking to "undermine the country's public security". "The Army, under the command of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, together with other armed forces, in addition to monitoring enemy movements in the region, will resolutely protect and safeguard national interests, the country's strategic infrastructure, and public property," it said.
The protests were triggered by an economic crisis worsened by Western sanctions. The demonstrations began in late December and are the largest in Iran since the 2022-23 protest movement linked to the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women.
Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based NGO, said at least 51 protesters, including nine children, had been killed by security forces and hundreds more had been injured, as rights groups urged restraint amid reports of mass arrests.