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A review of public statements by Iran’s senior officials since late December suggests a marked hardening of tone as protests escalated, a shift that coincided with a sharp intensification of the state’s security response.
The protests began on December 28 amid soaring inflation. It initially drew a more measured response from the government.
But following a surge in demonstrations on January 8, and especially after a Supreme Leader speech the following day, officials reverted to a familiar framing: unrest portrayed as a foreign-backed security threat demanding a forceful response.
In an interview with Al Jazeera broadcast between January 9 and 12, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said protests had been peaceful from December 28 through January 7, but claimed that “armed terrorist elements linked to Israel and the United States” had subsequently turned them violent.
The judiciary soon echoed that framing.
Speaking to bazaar merchants on January 10, Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said protesters had initially “demanded the country’s progress,” avoiding direct reference to the violent response.
Three days later, he called for the immediate trial of detainees, and in a January 14 post on X announced plans to televise the trials of what he called the “main culprits” in order to expose their alleged foreign ties.
Around the same time, footage of Ejei interrogating a detainee on state television circulated on social media.
‘No peace, only war’
The rhetorical shift became unmistakable on January 9, when Khamenei delivered a speech that many observers viewed as pivotal. He described protesters as “rioters under foreign influence” and urged security forces to confront them sternly.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who until then had acknowledged protesters’ grievances and expressed openness to dialogue, followed suit.
“(They are) violent terrorists and rioters brought from abroad to attack mosques and civilians,” he said, urging the public “to stop the terrorists.”
Other senior figures reinforced the message. Security Chief Ali Larijani said on January 11 that forces were “controlling the protests with minimal damage,” despite emerging videos of a bloody crackdown.
“There will be no peace and no ceasefire, only war,” he warned protesters.
‘Conspiracy’
Some civilian officials sought to strike a more conciliatory tone, though without challenging the core narrative. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani condemned violence in general terms and said the internet blackout—entering its eighth day on Thursday—was a “temporary measure.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on January 13 that “protesting is the people’s legitimate right” and promised to address economic grievances, while also accusing protesters of “seeking violence.”
Military commanders, meanwhile, were more explicit. From January 8 through 14, senior officers repeatedly characterized the unrest as a “conspiracy” orchestrated by Israel and unnamed terrorist groups.
Army Commander Abdolrahim Mousavi praised the Basij domestic enforcement militia and police for “controlling the riots,” warned of possible direct military involvement, and described the protests as “a malicious conspiracy.”
Police Commander Ahmadreza Radan said “the level of confrontation has been raised,” warned that attacks on police stations “will not be tolerated,” and described police conduct as “mild” despite reports of mounting casualties.
Taken together, the statements reflect a rapid convergence among Iran’s political, judicial and security elites around a securitized narrative after January 8—one that recast the protests as an externally driven threat that can only be thwarted with bullets.
An open petition signed by more than 3,400 US-based Iranian technology professionals issued on Thursday called for the end of the Islamic Republic and urged the United States and other democratic countries to provide urgent support to protesters in Iran.
The petition was shared on X on Thursday by Kooshiar Azimian, an Iranian technology entrepreneur and investor, who invited others in the tech community to join and sign the statement.
According to the petition, the signatories include founders, engineers, investors and scientists working at major technology companies and institutions, including Google, Meta, Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, MIT and Harvard.
The statement also endorses Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled prince, as a "unifying transition figure", adding that opposition forces need coordinated leadership as protests continue inside Iran.
“Trump has said his hand is on the trigger. We will cut off his hand and his finger,” senior IRGC general and member of Iran’s Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said on Thursday, issuing a direct threat against US President Donald Trump.
Rezaei added hat Iran would no longer accept a ceasefire if the country is attacked. “If we move forward, there will be no talk of a ceasefire anymore,” he said.
“You do not pay attention to the restraint and strategic patience we have shown. Stop right now. Step back, otherwise none of your bases in the region will be safe.”
US President Donald Trump has delayed any decision on a military strike on Iran following concerns expressed by Israel and other allies, Axios reported on Thursday citing officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested Trump defer any attack until the country can boost defenses for a likely Iranian response, Axios cited Israeli and US sources as saying.
But it quoted a US source saying "everyone knows the president keeps his finger over the button."
An Israeli security source cited by the outlet said a US attack plan envisions attacks on military sites in Iran but that Israel has concerns it would not meaningfully destabilize Tehran.
"The Americans are reassessing now," Axios quoted an Arab source as saying.
Trump has repeatedly warned of a military intervention if Iran killed protestors, as the death toll has risen amid a deadly crackdown.
"Eventually the Iranian regime will go down unless the supreme leader speaks directly to DJT. He doesn't trust that anyone else in their system has the authority to actually negotiate," Axios quoted a source as saying, referring to Trump.
Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi said on Thursday his country's ruling system is “on the verge of collapse” and that the authorities’ violent crackdown is a “last-gasp effort to intimidate,” according to an interview with The Economist.
Pahlavi emphasized civil disobedience and non-violence but stressed that Iranians have the right to defend themselves when attacked.
“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had declared war on the Iranian people a long time ago,” Pahlavi said, calling the Islamic Republic "a domestic enemy".
He presented himself as a transitional figure, saying he would act as a “neutral arbiter” if the current system falls.
