Khamenei says merchants’ concerns are valid, enemy stirs unrest
Speaking in Tehran, Khamenei highlighted that shopkeepers and the merchant class are “among the most loyal segments of the country to the Islamic system” and that their concerns over persistent fluctuations in the national currency, the rial, are valid.
“When a bazaar merchant looks at the country’s monetary situation, the decline in the value of the national currency and the instability of currency prices, domestic and foreign, which causes the business environment to lack stability, he says ‘I can’t do business.’ He is telling the truth,” Khamenei said, expressing support for the merchants.
He added that government officials are “seeking to remedy the problem,” but warned that the recent sharp rise and instability in foreign currency prices is “not natural” and reflects the work of outside forces.
“This is the work of the enemy. Of course, it must be stopped. With various measures, both the president and the heads of the other branches, as well as other officials, are trying to set things right. Therefore, the bazaaris’ protest was about this issue is a valid one,” Khamenei said.
He emphasized, however, that some groups of “provoked, mercenary agents of the enemy” are using the protests to chant slogans against Islam, Iran, and the Islamic Republic. He differentiated between legitimate protest and rioting, saying officials should engage with the former while condemning the latter.
Khamenei warned that individuals seeking to destabilize the country are “exploiting the protests of merchants and creating unrest,” describing such acts as “unacceptable.”
“One must recognize the enemy’s actions, the enemy does not sit idle and exploits every opportunity. Here they saw an opportunity and wanted to take advantage of it,” he stated.
The remarks come amid weeks of protests driven by a weakening economy and a sharp depreciation of the rial, which has recently crossed 1,350,000 to the US dollar. Reports indicate that clashes in multiple cities have resulted in several deaths among both protesters and security personnel.
The Iranian government has conducted talks with merchant representatives to address the crisis, which has been particularly severe in Tehran.
US President Donald Trump earlier said Washington would “come to the rescue” of protesters if Iranian authorities use lethal force, a statement that drew sharp criticism from Iranian officials.
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