Iran's Supreme Leader on Tuesday accused enemies of the Islamic Republic of stirring unrest, as anti-government demonstrations that began last week became increasingly violent.
"In recent days, enemies of Iran used different tools including cash, weapons, politics and intelligence apparatus to create troubles for the Islamic Republic," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying in a post on his official website.
Khamenei said he would address the nation about the recent events "when the time is right."
The demonstrations, the largest in Iran since the country's disputed 2009 presidential election, have seen five days of unrest across the country and an overall death toll of at least 20 people, with the slaying of a police officer announced late Monday.
The protests began Thursday in the Iranian city of Mashhad over the country's weak economy and a spike in food prices. The protests quickly spread to several cities, with some protesters chanting against the government and the supreme leader.
Hundreds of people have been arrested.
The protests have put pressure on the clerical leaders who have been in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, as well as President Hassan Rouhani.
Rouhani acknowledged the public's anger over the Islamic Republic's flagging economy, though he and others warned that the government wouldn't hesitate to crack down on those it considers lawbreakers.
"Their problem is not only economic; it's not like people have come to streets to say that we want money, bread, water. They have other demands as well. They are claiming other things as well," Rouhani said in a statement broadcast on state TV.
Iran is a major OPEC oil producer and regional power but frustrations have grown at home – where youth unemployment reached 28.8% last year – while the country is deeply involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq as part of a battle for regional influence with rival Saudi Arabia. These foreign involvements are resented by many Iranians who want their leaders to create jobs instead of engaging in costly proxy wars.
Iranian state television aired footage of a ransacked private bank, broken windows, overturned cars and a fire truck that appeared to have been set ablaze.
"Some armed protesters tried to take over some police stations and military bases but faced serious resistance from security forces," state TV said.
In a later report, state TV said six people were killed in the western town of Tuyserkan, 295 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, and three in the town of Shahinshahr, 315 kilometers (195 miles) south of Tehran. It did not say where the 10th person was killed.
Earlier Monday, the semi-official ILNA news agency quoted Hedayatollah Khademi, a representative for the town of Izeh, as saying two people died there Sunday night. He said the cause of death wasn't immediately known, though authorities later described one of the deaths as the result of a personal dispute.
Late Monday, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said an assailant using a hunting rifle killed a policeman and wounded three other officers during a demonstration in the central city of Najafabad, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Tehran. The slaying marked the first security force member to be killed in the unrest.
Since then, Arab media reported that a total of three Iranian security officers had been killed.
Two protesters also were killed during clashes late Saturday in Doroud, some 325 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Tehran in Lorestan province, authorities have said.
On Sunday, Iran blocked access to photo sharing app Instagram as well as access to Telegram, a messaging app popular for use by activists to organize.
Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani on Monday urged authorities to confront rioters, state TV reported.
"I urge all prosecutors across the country to get involved and the approach should be strong," he said.
Rouhani also stressed Monday that Iran "has seen many similar events and overcame them easily."
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been continually tweeting in support of the protesters, described Iran as "failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration."
"The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years," he wrote. "They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!"
While some have shared Trump's tweets, many in Iran distrust him because he has refused to re-certify the nuclear deal and his travel bans have blocked Iranians from getting U.S. visas.
Iran's economy has improved since the nuclear deal was reached in 2015. The deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some international sanctions. Tehran now sells its oil on the global market and has signed deals to purchase tens of billions of dollars' worth of Western aircraft.
But the relief has not trickled down to the average Iranian. Unemployment remains high, and official inflation has crept up to 10% again. A recent increase in egg and poultry prices by as much as 40%, which the government has blamed on a cull over avian flu fears, appears to have been the trigger for the economic protests.
While the protests have sparked clashes, Iran's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard force and its affiliates have not intervened as they have in other unauthorized demonstrations since the 2009 election.
It wasn't immediately clear if the Guard would change its posture given the reported attacks on police stations and military bases. In Tehran on Monday, streets were calm, though a heavy police presence was noticeable.
Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri , the Guard commander and deputy chief of staff for Iran's military, said Monday that Trump's support of the protesters "indicates planning by the U.S. for launching a new sedition in Iran."
