BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 17. Thousands of
people have been killed in the recent unrest in Iran, the country's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said during a meeting
with a group of Iranian citizens in Tehran, Trend reports.
Khamenei stated that peaceful demonstrations in the country were
turned into riots by provocateurs, adding that those involved
committed various crimes.
“Peaceful rallies held in the country were transformed into
riots by instigators, and the rioters carried out various criminal
acts across the country,” he said.
Khamenei noted that during the unrest, more than 250 mosques
were destroyed, while over 250 educational institutions and other
public property, as well as government buildings, were damaged.
The Supreme Leader blamed Western countries for the events
taking place in Iran and said that what he described as malicious
plans in the country had been brought to an end.
The protests, which erupted in late December in Iran, were
primarily triggered by the sharp depreciation of the national
currency, escalating inflation, and various other economic
hardships. While casualty reports have been circulating, the exact
figures remain undisclosed.
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