Iran claims Israel seeking to ‘undermine national unity,’ accuses Netanyahu, US of incitement amid protests

Iranians drive past an anti-US and anti-Israel billboard displaying a message that reads 'watch out for your soldiers,' in Tehran on January 4, 2026 (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iranians drive past an anti-US and anti-Israel billboard displaying a message that reads 'watch out for your soldiers,' in Tehran on January 4, 2026 (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran accuses Israel of trying to undermine its national unity after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for protests in the Islamic Republic.

“The Zionist regime is determined to exploit the slightest opportunity to sow division and undermine our national unity, and we must remain vigilant,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei says at a weekly press conference, before accusing Israeli and US leaders of “incitement to violence.”

At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said yesterday, as protests spread across the country, sparking violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Netanyahu said yesterday that Israelis “identify with the struggle” of Iranians.

“The government of Israel, the State of Israel, and my own policies — we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,” Netanyahu said. “It is quite possible that we are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”

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