Iranians chant slogans as they march in support of the government near the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017. (HAMED MALEKPOUR/TASNIM NEWS/AFP)
Tens of thousands gathered in cities across Iran on Wednesday in a massive show of support for the regime after days of deadly unrest, state television showed.
Crowds chanted, “Leader, we are ready,” as images showed vast numbers marching through the cities of Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Gorgan and elsewhere.
The crowds waved Iranian flags and pictures of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as placards reading “Death to seditionists.”
“We offer the blood in our veins to our leader” was another popular chant.
The semi-official PressTV broadcast the rallies live, saying they were to “protest the violence that has taken place over the last few nights in cities.”
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The rallies come after Khamenei on Tuesday blamed days of protests across the country on meddling by “enemies of Iran.” State TV reported on Tuesday that the latest clashes between protesters and security forces have killed nine more people.
The demonstrations are the largest seen in Iran since its disputed 2009 presidential election. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds were arrested.
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