Khamenei says ‘enemies’ involved in protests following death of Mahsa Amini

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday said “enemies” were involved in street violence that erupted last month over the death of Mahsa Amini.

Khamenei has already accused the United States, Israel and their “agents” of fomenting the unrest sparked by Amini’s death after her arrest for allegedly failing to adhere to the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

“Today, everyone confirms the involvement of the enemies in these street riots,” Khamenei said Wednesday in a televised meeting with the Expediency Council, an advisory body.

“The actions of the enemy, such as propaganda, trying to influence minds, creating excitement, encouraging and even teaching the manufacture of incendiary materials, are now completely clear,” he said, without identifying the enemy.

Earlier Wednesday, the judiciary said it had charged more than 100 people over the protests in Tehran and Hormozgan provinces.

“Some of these people are either enemy agents or… aligned with the enemy, and some are excited people,” Khamenei said.

“The judicial and security authorities must do their duty” in dealing with the “enemy agents,” he said.

Since September 16, dozens of people — mainly protesters but also members of the security forces — have been killed, while hundreds of others have been arrested in several cities across the country amidst demonstrations in the wake of 22-year-old Amini’s death, which occurred on September 16 while she was in police custody.

Amini had been arrested in Tehran by the morality police three days earlier for an alleged breach of the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women, which sparked ongoing protests across the country.

Earlier Wednesday, Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said at least 108 people have been killed in Iran’s crackdown on more than three weeks of demonstrations.