Tehran, 3 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reacted for the first time to the unrest that has gripped the country over the past seven days and called for strict measures against "rioters."

"The protests by bazaar merchants over the devaluation of the national currency and the unstable exchange rates are justified, but the rioters must be put in their place," Khamenei said on state television on Saturday.

It was unacceptable to exploit civil protests in order to stir up political unrest, he added, claiming Iran's domestic and foreign were behind the turmoil. These actions would be decisively countered, he said.

What began in Tehran as a protest against economic hardship and astronomical inflation last Sunday quickly expanded into nationwide unrest, with demonstrators turning on the Islamic leadership and Khamenei in particular.

Several people have been killed in clashes with security forces and numerous protesters are believed to have been arrested.

According to the constitution, the 86-year-old ayatollah has the final say in all strategic matters and is therefore regarded as the country's undisputed political leader. Accordingly, the demonstrators' criticism is directed primarily at him.

The demonstrators accuse Khamenei of having driven the country into international isolation - and thus into the worst economic crisis in its history - through his uncompromising policies.

They also blame the supreme leader of allocating the nation's financial resources to anti-Israeli militias rather than to the Iranian population.

MIA file photo