Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blames ‘enemies’ for wave of deadly unrest

Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday blamed the country’s “enemies” for days of unrest that pose the biggest challenge to the Islamic regime in years.

“The enemies have united and are using all their means, money, weapons, policies and security services to create problems for the Islamic regime,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech carried on state television. “The enemy is always looking for an opportunity and any crevice to infiltrate and strike the Iranian nation.”

A fifth night of unrest in Iran propelled the death toll to at least 21, local media and online users reported on Tuesday, despite moves to crack down on the biggest protests against the regime in years.

State television reported six rioters were killed during an attack on a police station in the town of Qahdarijan. It reported that clashes were sparked by rioters who tried to steal guns from the police station.

Separately, an 11-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were reportedly killed in the town of Khomeinishahr, while a member of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in the town of Najafabad. Also in Najafabad, one policeman was killed and three others wounded.

State television also reported that all those killed were shot by hunting rifles.