As countrywide protests over a faltering economy and plummeting currency have persisted this week in Iran, the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Wednesday for those who "disrupt economic security" to be brought to justice.
"The atmosphere for the work, life and livelihood of the people must be secure," he said in a meeting with judiciary officials, according to his official website. "And the judiciary must confront those who disrupt economic security."
Khamenei's comments came after videos emerged on social media sites of large protests in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. Demonstrators were reportedly arrested at the scene while Tehran's chief prosecutor accused the protesters of trying to harm the nation's economy and threatened them with the death penalty or prison sentences of up to 20 years. He also said the courts would be barred from issuing more lenient sentences.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he had no intention of stepping down, and blamed the demonstrations on "an American and Israeli campaign against Iran."
In a televised speech, Rouhani vowed not to surrender to the United States."We will take problems. We will take pressure. But we will not sacrifice our independence," he said.
"The Iranian people have to stand unified against the American pressure in order to bring the U.S. to its knees," he said.
In an effort to intensify sanctions against the Iranian regime, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday it was important that India cut its dependence on Iranian oil. She said the United States would work to allow India to use an Iranian port as a corridor to Afghanistan.
After withdrawing in May from an international agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear aspirations, which saw crippling economic sanctions lifted, the U.S. instructed countries to cut all imports of Iranian oil from November and is unlikely to offer any exemptions, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on allies to cut off funding to Iran.
"Sanctions are coming [on Iran] and we're going forward on that, and with India and the U.S. building strong relationships we hoped that they would lessen their dependence on Iran," Haley told reporters after her meeting with Modi in New Delhi.
India is one of the largest importers of Iran's oil.
"There's a will, a political will, from both sides to figure out how to make this work," Haley said. "Prime Minister Modi very much understands where we are with Iran, he didn't question it, he didn't criticize it, he understood it and he also understands that [India's] relationship with the U.S. is strong and important and needs to stay that way."
Haley said the implications of Iran-related sanctions would be discussed when the foreign and defense ministers of India and the U.S. meet shortly. Japan and South Korea, also major buyers of Iranian oil, are in talks with the U.S. government in a bid to avoid the adverse effects of sanctions.
The threat of restored U.S. sanctions has caused the rial to collapse, hurting business by driving up the cost of imports. The rial traded at 78,500 against the dollar in the unofficial market on Wednesday, according to foreign exchange website Bonbast.com. This compares to around 43,000 at the end of last year.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday commented on the demonstrations in Iran, saying protesters are fed up with the country's leadership.
"The people of Iran are tired of the corruption, injustice, and incompetence from their leaders," he said in a statement. "We condemn the government's same futile tactics of suppression, imprisonment of protestors, and the denial of Iranians' frustrations."
"#Iran's corrupt regime is wasting the country's resources on [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, Hizbollah [sic], Hamas & Houthis, while Iranians struggle," Pompeo tweeted. "It should surprise no one #IranProtests continue. People are tired of the corruption, injustice & incompetence of their leaders. The world hears their voice."
