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Iranian officials have begun publicly blaming one another and foreign foes for ongoing unrest across the country, exposing sharp divisions in Tehran on one of the greatest challenges yet to the Islamic Republic.
Members of parliament have accused both the government and the public of contributing to the economic collapse that triggered the unrest.
President Massoud Pezeshkian and members of his administration, in turn, have pointed the finger back at parliament, underscoring a familiar pattern of elite infighting during periods of crisis.
Speaking at a meeting with officials and academics on Tuesday, January 6, Pezeshkian acknowledged that responsibility for the current situation was shared.
In a characteristically self-critical tone, he said his administration and the Majles both bore blame for the failures that had led to the unrest.
Elephant in the room
Notably absent from official statements has been any reckoning with the role of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or the effects of decades of centralized rule.
In his only intervention on protest so far, Khamenei appeared to urge authorities to tighten the control.
“Protest is legitimate, but protest is different from rioting,” he said on Saturday. “We talk to protesters, but there is no use in talking to rioters. Rioters must be put in their place.”
Protesters have made Khamenei a central target, accusing him of bankrupting the country through military adventurism and the financing of regional proxy groups.
‘US mercenaries’
As demonstrations continued for an eleventh consecutive day on Wednesday, hardline lawmakers reiterated familiar rhetoric dismissing the protests as foreign-instigated.
Fatemeh Mohammadbeigi, a lawmaker from Qazvin, labeled protesters “rioters” and said they should be intimidated into ending what she called their “mutiny.”
“Enemies are importing weapons into Iran,” she asserted, calling on security forces to “confront the rioters with strict measures.”
Rights groups and activist networks say at least 36 protesters have been killed since the unrest began, with many more injured. A hospital in the uniquely restive province of Ilam was attacked to arrest wounded demonstrators.
MP Mohammadbeigi alleged in an interview with moderate outlet Rouydad24 that “Israeli and US mercenaries” were responsible for the hospital raid as well as for shutting down markets and damaging property.
Infighting unabated
Similar claims were echoed by Esmail Kowsari, a Tehran lawmaker, IRGC officer and member of parliament’s national security committee.
Speaking to the state-linked ILNA news agency, Kowsari accused “enemies” of attempting to sow discord in Iran, arguing that Israel and the United States, which he said had been “defeated in the war with Iran,” were now waging a “soft war” through social media.
Kowsari also criticized the government for “leaving the markets uncontrolled” and suggested parliament should summon the president to explain the situation.
Moderate figures have warned that such moves risk deepening the crisis.
Hassan Rassouli, a former governor of the protest hotbed Lorestan, warned that questioning Pezeshkian in parliament “would be tantamount to attacking the commander during a battle.”
In an interview with moderate outlet Khabar Online on Wednesday, he accused hardline lawmakers of staging “a show of authority” at a moment when Tehran—in his words—should focus on containing unrest, not escalating internal power struggles.
Swedish Member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers called on Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to meet Iran's exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, urging stronger European engagement with the Iranian opposition movement.
"This is the time to meet the leader of the Iranian opposition," Weimers posted on X on Wednesday, tagging both.
Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi commended widespread protests across Iran on Wednesday, calling them "unparalleled" and a sign of readiness for Thursday's planned 8 PM action.
“Reports have reached us that the regime is terribly frightened and is trying to cut off the internet once again,” Pahlavi posted a video message on Wednesday on X.
“Know that our communication will not be cut off; whether through hundreds of thousands of Starlink devices in Iran, or through the networks of Iran International and Manoto,” he added.
A senior US senator warned that Iranian threats against the United States have “not worked well” under President Donald Trump, as Washington responds to escalatory rhetoric from Tehran.
“Threatening the United States while Donald Trump is President has not worked well for anyone, especially Iran,” Republican Senator Jim Risch, chairman of Senate Foreign Relations, posted on X on Wednesday.
The Balochistan People’s Party, an Iranian Baloch political group, urged people in Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeastern Iran to join nationwide protests and strikes, calling for coordinated action with demonstrators across the country.
“Active participation in nationwide protests and strikes is not a political choice, but a historical necessity in order to achieve freedom, justice, and a dignified life,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.
"It is imperative that the people of the province act in unity with other parts of Iran in their chosen slogans and display a magnificent manifestation of nationwide solidarity," the statement added.
