‘Iran Will Not Back Down’: Khamenei Warns Protesters, Foreign Backers

Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 15:01 IST

The Supreme Leader's comments came after an internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday and extended into Friday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (File image: AFP)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Friday that the Islamic Republic would not back down in the face of protests and would not tolerate what he described as work on behalf of foreign powers, according to remarks aired on state television.

“Everyone should know that the Islamic Republic will not retreat," he said. “It will not tolerate serving foreigners."

Khamenei added that anyone who worked for outside forces would be rejected by both the people and the Islamic system, state TV reported.

The Supreme Leader’s comments came after an internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday and extended into Friday, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said. It coincided with calls for more protests from Reza Pahlavi, the long-exiled son of Iran’s last shah, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported at least 34 protesters and four security personnel killed, and 2,200 arrested during the unrest, which analysts say highlights deeper disillusionment with the status quo.

News world ‘Iran Will Not Back Down’: Khamenei Warns Protesters, Foreign Backers

Read More