BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 17. Thousands of people have been killed in the recent unrest in Iran, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said during a meeting with a group of Iranian citizens in Tehran, Trend reports.
Khamenei stated that peaceful demonstrations in the country were turned into riots by provocateurs, adding that those involved committed various crimes.
“Peaceful rallies held in the country were transformed into riots by instigators, and the rioters carried out various criminal acts across the country,” he said.
Khamenei noted that during the unrest, more than 250 mosques were destroyed, while over 250 educational institutions and other public property, as well as government buildings, were damaged.
The Supreme Leader blamed Western countries for the events taking place in Iran and said that what he described as malicious plans in the country had been brought to an end.
The protests, which erupted in late December in Iran, were primarily triggered by the sharp depreciation of the national currency, escalating inflation, and various other economic hardships. While casualty reports have been circulating, the exact figures remain undisclosed.
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