Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the country's enemies of stirring days of protests that have claimed at least 22 lives.
Khamenei was speaking for the first time since people protesting at Iran's economic troubles clashed with security forces last Thursday.
"In recent days’ incidents, the enemies of Iran made a pact to cause problems for the Islamic system using various tools available to them, including money, weapons, politics and intelligence services," Khamenei said, according to his official website.
"The enemy is always looking for an opportunity and any crevice to infiltrate and strike the Iranian nation," the Fars News cited him as saying.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the nation's spirit of bravery, sacrifice and faith blocks the enemy and its hostilities, adding that he will speak with people about the recent protests and unrests in Iran in due time.
Previously, a number of Western media reported that the spiritual leader left the country. This video refutes this information.
