Supreme leader blames foreign powers after days of unrest

TEHERAN - Iranian state media on Wednesday aired progovernment demonstrations in cities across the country after a week of protests and unrest over the nation's economy.

The English-language broadcaster PressTV broadcast Wednesday's pro-government rallies live, saying they were to "protest the violence that has taken place over the last few nights in cities".

Demonstrators waved Iranians flags and signs supporting the government.

According to state TV, the demonstrations took place in at least 10 cities, including Ahvaz, the capital of the oilrich province of Khuzestan, the Kurdish town of Kermanshah in the country's west, and Qom, the religions capital of Shiite Islam in Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of what he calls the enemies' all-out efforts, including inciting unrest, to harm the Islamic republic.

The enemy is always seeking an opportunity to infiltrate Iran and harm the Iranian nation, Khamenei said on Tuesday in his first comments on the unrest in some Iranian cities that broke out on Thursday.

"The enemies of Iran allied with each other by employing various tools at their disposal, including money, weapons, politics and security organizations, in order to cause problems for the Islamic establishment," he was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Khamenei described the Iranian nation's courage, devotion and faith as the main factors in warding off the hostile moves.

According to unofficial reports, at least 20 people, including civilians and security police, were killed and dozens of others injured as protests against the government's economic and social policies continued in major cities across Iran over the past few days.

According to Iran's security officials, scores of protesters were arrested.

A 'proxy war'

On Tuesday, a senior Iranian security official said Saudi Arabia is among the major players behind recent unrest in Iran, PressTV reported.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said certain countries are waging a "proxy war" against the country via social media and the internet.

The United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia are behind the recent riots in Iran, he said.

The hashtags and campaigns on social media concerning the situation in Iran are all in fact being guided by these countries, he said, adding that "based on our analysis, around 27 percent of the new hashtags against Iran are generated by the Saudi government".

Earlier in the day, Iran's judiciary warned participants in violent unrests of the consequences of their disorderly conduct.

Rioters arrested after the interior ministry's ban on such gatherings will have to face more severe punishment because they have consciously taken to the streets and resorted to violence, the head of Teheran's Revolutionary Tribunal, Mousa Qazanfarabadi, was quoted as saying.

As the days pass by, those arrested in riots will face heavier penalties, as they are not deemed to be protesters any more, but rioters seeking to harm the core of the establishment, said Qazanfarabadi.

Xinhua - AP - Presstv