Iran protests latest: Khamenei insists he will ‘not back down’ as he blames Trump for millions taking to streets
Dozens have been killed in violent clashes with police as protests have erupted across Iran demanding regime change.
Buildings were set on fire as millions took part in demonstrations in Tehran and Masshad on Thursday evening, which were not dispersed by security forces.
Monitoring groups reported a nationwide internet blackout in the aftermath of the protests. The demonstrators were heard calling for the overthrow of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini and the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah.
US president Donald Trump warned that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters” the US “will come to their rescue,” threats that acquired fresh resonance following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-standing ally of Tehran, by American troops.
The country has been reeling from a 12-day conflict in June, initiated by Israel, which saw US forces bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. A widening economic crisis has seen the population struggling with an annual inflation rate of 40 per cent.
