In his first extensive comments on the recent protests in Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Jan. 9 pointed the finger at the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, saying they planned the unrest.
On Dec. 28, people in the northeastern city of Mashhad took to the streets to express their anger at the government for failing to control the cost of living. The protests — which, according to a number of Iranian officials were initially orchestrated by opponents of moderate President Hassan Rouhani — quickly got out of control and turned into a crisis in many small cities.
