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Saturday, January 3, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Khamenei says Iranian protesters’ economic demands ‘fair’ but rioters ‘must be put in their place’
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A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran, Iran, on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
TEHRAN, Iran — Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledges the economic demands of Iranian protesters, while warning against what he described as rioting.
“The president and high-ranking officials are working to resolve” the economic difficulties in the sanctions-battered country, Khamenei says in a speech marking a Shiite holiday.
“The shopkeepers have protested against this situation, and that is completely fair,” he adds. while warning that “rioters… must be put in their place.”
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