Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted for the first time on Saturday that the Iranian protesters, led by the bazaari middle class, “have a point” and that the economic situation in Iran “lacks stability.”
Khamenei addressed the protests through his official Farsi-speaking account, calling the Bazaaris “among the most loyal Iranians in the country.
“First, the bazaar community and the bazaari, the bazaar merchants, are among the most loyal strata in the country to the Islamic system and the Islamic Revolution. We know the bazaar well, and in the name of the bazaar and the bazaari, one cannot confront the Islamic Republic and the Islamic system.
“Yes, these gatherings were mostly by bazaaris, but what they said was correct. When a bazaari looks at the country’s monetary situation, the decline in the value of the national currency, and the instability of the currency and foreign exchange, which makes the business environment unstable, he says, ‘I cannot do business,’ and he is right. The country’s officials accept this, and I know that the honorable president and other senior officials are seeking to remedy this problem.”
Khamenei closed his statements by blaming rioters for pushing the protests out of proportion and shifting the focus from legitimate economic concerns to generic anti-regime rhetoric.
“What is important is that a group of enemy mercenary agitators stand behind the bazaaris and chant slogans against Islam, against Iran, and against the Islamic Republic. This is important. Protest is justified, but protest is different from rioting,” he wrote.
"The objection is justified, but protest is different from rioting. We talk with the protester; the officials must talk with the protester; talking with the rioter is of no use. The rioter must be put in his place."
Iran condemns US officials' comments on protests
Hours before Khamenei's statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement condemning the "comments made by US officials over the situation in Iran."
"Such irresponsible positions, which constitute a continuation of the US’s bullying and unlawful approach toward the Iranian nation, not only represent a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles and rules of the UN Charter and international law regarding respect for national sovereignty, but also amount to incitement to violence and terrorism against Iranian citizens," the statement read.
The statement assured that there is a "long history of criminal interventions by successive US administrations in Iran’s internal affairs" and added that "Iranians, through dialogue and interaction among themselves to resolve their problems, will not allow any malicious interference."
"The Foreign Ministry sees the threatening remarks of US officials against Iran as being in line with the Zionist regime’s policy that's aimed at escalating tension in the region, and underlines that the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to any act of aggression will be swift, decisive, and comprehensive," the statement concluded.
Latest wave of Iran protests erupts over economic turmoil
Merchant strikes and shop closures began on Sunday in major markets, including Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, as the rial slumped and prices surged. Protests widened through midweek with arrests and tear gas reported in central Tehran and other cities, while authorities signaled both outreach and warnings to avoid disruptions.
Coverage described tens of thousands in the streets since Sunday, with demonstrations framed by anger over the currency collapse.
Amid the escalation, human rights groups reported that several demonstrators were killed when security forces used live fire during the fifth day of nationwide protests, and a member of the Basij was also reported killed.
Officials rejected some circulating claims, including a widely shared rumor that an IRGC sniper killed a protester, which was assessed as false, while insisting order would be maintained.
The latest unrest has revived memories of the 2022 protest wave sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after her detention, which drew students, workers, and shopkeepers into months of nationwide demonstrations.
Authorities then relied on mass arrests, internet restrictions, and harsh sentences, yet symbolic defiance and periodic rallies persisted into subsequent anniversaries.