Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a video conference with people from East Azerbaijan in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2022. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader / WANA (West Asia News Agency) / Distribution via REUTERS
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June 4 (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday accused recent protests in Iran of foreign “enemies” seeking to overthrow the government in the Islamic Republic.
In addition, he said, enemies are waging a “psychological war” against Iran, accusing it of piracy to detain two Greek ships after the United States confiscated Iranian oil from a tanker. Read more
“Today, the most important hope of the enemies to strike the country is based on popular protests,” Khamenei said, referring to a week-long protest over the collapse of a building in southwestern Iran last month that killed 37 people.
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“But the calculations of the enemies are as wrong as they were much earlier,” he said in a televised speech marking the 33rd anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Authorities blame local corruption and poor security for the collapse of a 10-storey residential and commercial building in Abadan, and say 13 people, including mayors and other officials, have been arrested so far for construction violations. Read more
However, protesters claimed the disaster was the result of government negligence and entrenched corruption, and chanted slogans against officials, including Khamenei.
Residents of Iran report disrupted Internet services, an apparent attempt to stop the use of social media to organize rallies and distribute videos. Authorities warned people to follow only the official media and to avoid “rumors” on social media.
The United States, which has imposed harsh sanctions on Iran, has confiscated Iranian oil on the Iranian-flagged Pegasus ship, which Greece confiscated off its coast in April. Tehran responded by capturing two Greek ships on May 27th
But Khamenei said the world media accused Iran of piracy. “Who is the pirate here?” You stole our oil. We took it back from you. Returning stolen goods is not theft. “
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dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com Edited by Kirsten Donovan and Francis Carey
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