Larijani: People’s protest separated from ‘urban quasi-terrorism’
Armed forces united to protect public properties: Army
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani said the protest from disgruntled Iranian civilians should be separated from the operations of those who have been organized by the enemies in the form of quasi-terrorist urban groups.
Larijani made the remarks in an interview with Lebanon Al Mayadeen news network late on Friday.
He said the enemies took advantage of the protests held by the guilds and shop owners in order to foment violent unrest in Iran and transformed the protests into a war by dispatching firearms and Molotov cocktails to streets.
The fact that some rushed to storm military and law enforcement centers to acquire weapons indicate that they sought a civil war, Larijani pointed out.
The comments by the top national security official came after the Iranian capital, Tehran, and several more cities witnessed violent riots on Thursday and Friday nights when saboteurs set fire to public and private property, causing extensive damage.
The Iranian nation, Larijani stressed, will survive this crisis and foil the enemy’s projects through national unity and cohesion, the statement emphasized.
He said the solution to the country’s current predicament lies in talking with the people and enlightening them to realities, emphasizing that both sides on the streets are “the children of Iran” after all.
Larijani said that Israel and the US, after failing to defeat Iran during the imposed 12-day war in June 2025, changed tactics and decided to target Iran’s element of strength, namely national unity.
Their weapon of choice, the secretary added, was blocking paths to solving economic and livelihood problems of the people of Iran.
Noting that the officials are there to serve Iranians, Larijani added that the security forces of the country are vigilant not to allow anyone to hurt the people.
Army urges vigilance, national unity against hostile plots
The Iranian Army called on people to remain vigilant and foil hostile plots aimed at inciting instability and riots in the country.
In a statement released on Saturday in the wake of violent riots in a number of Iranian cities, the Army warned that the aggressive and evil US government has hatched plots to regain its dominance over the Iranian people.
The statement emphasized that the Army works in cooperation with other military forces to monitor hostile moves in the region, confront any plot decisively, and protect the national interests, strategic infrastructures, and public properties.
The Army further called on the Iranian people to remain vigilant and preserve national unity to foil the hostile plots.
UN envoy holds US accountable for turning protests into riots
The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations held the US government responsible for transforming the peaceful protests in Iran into violent riots.
In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Amir Saeed Iravani said the US is accountable for the violent riot and unrest in Iran.
Denouncing the US’ interference through threats, provocation, and incitement of violence and unrest, the envoy said such destabilizing US actions violate the UN Charter.