Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that the concerns of merchants protesting across the country are legitimate but warned that a "hand of the enemy" is behind recent currency fluctuations that have fueled unrest. In his first public remarks since the protests began, Khamenei said shopkeepers and bazaar merchants are among "the most loyal segments of the country to the Islamic system," noting that their grievances stem from sharp instability in the national currency, the rial. "When a bazaar merchant looks at the country's monetary situation, the decline in the value of the national currency and the instability of currency prices, domestic and foreign, which causes the business environment to lack stability, he says, 'I can't do business.' He is telling the truth," Khamenei said at a gathering in Tehran. He added that government officials are working to address the problem but described the surge and volatility in foreign currency prices as "not natural," attributing it to hostile interference. "This is the work of the enemy. Of course, it must be stopped," he said, adding that the president, heads of other branches of government and senior officials are taking measures to stabilize the situation. He said the bazaar protests over currency instability were valid but claimed that "provoked, mercenary agents of the enemy" were exploiting them. Khamenei drew a distinction between protest and unrest, saying demonstrations are justified but differ from rioting. He said officials should engage with protesters but not with those seeking to create insecurity, calling such actions "unacceptable." Iran has seen widespread protests in recent weeks as the economy deteriorates and the rial plunges, crossing 1,350,000 against the US dollar. Incidents of violence have been reported in several cities, with deaths among both protesters and police officers. The government has held multiple rounds of talks with representatives of shopkeepers, particularly in Tehran, where tensions have been most acute. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington would "come to the rescue" of protesters if Tehran uses lethal force, a comment that drew sharp criticism from senior Iranian officials. — Agencies
