Supreme Leader denies systemic corruption in Iran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied any systematic corruption in Iran in a speech on Wednesday amid days of union protests and after a harsh critique of Tehran by US President Donald Trump this month.

“Some have tried to prove that corruption in the Islamic Republic is systemic. That is a lie,” Khamenei said. “Corruption is like a seven-headed dragon that won’t vanish easily, but the system itself is healthy.”

Addressing provincial governors in Tehran, he called on people in power to avoid conflicts of interest and personal business ventures, saying corrupt officials face double divine punishment.

His remarks follow a withering speech by US President Donald Trump in Riyadh this month in which he accused Iran’s leadership of theft and mismanagement.

"Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said.

The latest Corruption Perceptions Index from watchdog Transparency International ranks Iran 151 out of 180 countries in terms of public sector corruption.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to Trump last week in a speech to parliament, accusing the US of hypocrisy and exploitation.

“The master thieves of the planet who rob every country now accuse others,” he said. “They came here to plunder.”

The Supreme Leader's remarks come as nearly daily protests linger across Iran.

Union members from the trucking, baking and other sectors are coordinating in ongoing nationwide strikes while pensioners have held scattered demonstrations over unpaid benefits in recent days.

Almost a third of Iranians struggle to afford basic necessities and millions live below the poverty line amid sharply rising inflation and stagnant wages.