Ayatollah Khamenei laid the blame on the US president for fomenting unrest as protests across Iran continued despite the internet blackout after exiled Crown Prince Pahlavi called for mass demonstrations demanding freedom.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy" in reference to US President Donald Trump, as demonstrations continued into Friday despite a nationwide internet and telephone blackout.
The 86-year-old leader of the regime in Tehran signalled authorities would crack down on demonstrators during a brief televised address, as an audience shouted "Death to America".
Protesters marched through Tehran and other cities on Thursday night after exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called for mass demonstrations. Short videos shared by activists showed demonstrators chanting against the government around bonfires as debris littered the streets.
Iranian state media broke its silence Friday over the protests, claiming "terrorist agents" of the US and Israel set fires and sparked violence. State television said there were "casualties" without providing details.
The communications blackout prevented independent verification of the demonstrations' scale, though the unrest represents the most significant challenge to Iran's government in several years. Protests have intensified since beginning December 28 over the country's deteriorating economy.
At least 42 people have been killed in violence around the demonstrations while more than 2,270 have been detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Crown prince says Iranians 'demanded their freedom'
Pahlavi, whose terminally ill father fled Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for protests Thursday night and repeated his appeal for demonstrations at 8 pm local time (6 pm CET) Friday.
"What turned the tide of the protests was former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's calls for Iranians to take to the streets," said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "This is exactly why the internet was shut down: to prevent the world from seeing the protests."
When 8 pm struck Thursday, neighbourhoods across Tehran erupted in chanting, witnesses said. Demonstrators shouted "Death to the dictator" and "Death to the Islamic Republic," while others praised the shah, crying "This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return" before communications ceased.
"Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication," Pahlavi said, calling on European leaders to join Trump in holding the government accountable and restore communications.
State television claimed protests caused casualties and saw "people's private cars, motorcycles, public places such as the metro, fire trucks and buses set on fire."
Iran's currency, the rial, collapsed in December to 1.4 million against the dollar as sanctions tightened and the country struggled following the June 12-day conflict with Israel. Protests began soon after.
Trump warned last week that if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the US "will come to their rescue". In an interview on Thursday with Hugh Hewitt, Trump said Iran has been told "even more strongly than I'm speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they're going to have to pay hell.
Trump declined to say whether he would meet Pahlavi, telling Hewitt, "I'm not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as president. I think that we should let everybody go out there, and we see who emerges."
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Thursday night, Trump suggested Khamenei may be considering leaving Iran, saying, "He's looking to go someplace. It's getting very bad."