Iranians Demand Regime Change, Ayatollah Blames ‘Zionist Conspiracy’

Ayatollah Khamenei claimed that the end of widespread protests represented “a hard blow to global arrogance and Zionism.”

By TPS

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lauded the Iranian people for “demonstrating their power and greatness” in “quashing the dangerous conspiracy” following the brutal regime crackdown on recent protests in Iran.

Khamenei described the end of widespread protests as “a hard blow to global arrogance and Zionism,” claiming that the Iranian people had “forced their retreat,” according to a speech transcript published on his official website

“The enemies had spent a great amount of money designing this conspiracy and were waiting for an opportunity to implement it with destruction, killing, and villainy,” he maintained.

“They assumed that the matter of [the tax hike on] petrol was the desired opportunity they were looking for and brought their army onto the scene. However, the Iranian nation quashed the enemy’s movement with its magnificent display,” Iran’s leader, who has been in power since 1989, told followers on Wednesday.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz had called on the “Free World” to support the protests. Speaking to the Iranian people, Katz said: “We are your friends, two peoples with a long history and a tradition of incredible cooperation. I hope those days return.”

Iranians took to the streets in anti-government protests following the Iranian leadership’s decision to increase petrol prices in the country by 50 percent. At least 1,000 protesters were arrested across the country with shops and banks being set alight.

Protestors had taken to the streets in around 100 cities. At least 200 people were killed in the government’s sharp suppression.

Videos from the protests published to social media showed demonstrators demanding that the regime cease its support of terror groups in the region, and instead invest the funds in the state.

The Iranian government shut down the people’s internet access for a week amid the protests, attempting to shroud the regime’s actions in secrecy and prevent scrutiny from the rest of the world.