Iran condemns “the ongoing, unlawful, and irresponsible conduct of the United States of America, in coordination with the Israeli regime,” Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani wrote.
Iranians attend a protest in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, January 8, 2025(photo credit: SOCIAL MEDIA/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)ByREUTERS, ALEX WINSTON, JERUSALEM POST STAFF Updated: The United States is to blame for “the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts and widespread vandalism” in Iran, the country’s United Nations ambassador told the Security Council on Friday.
Iran condemns “the ongoing, unlawful, and irresponsible conduct of the United States of America, in coordination with the Israeli regime, in interfering in Iran’s internal affairs through threats, incitement, and the deliberate encouragement of instability and violence,” Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani wrote in a letter, seen by Reuters.
He accused Washington of “destabilizing practices” that undermine the founding UN Charter, violate fundamental principles of international law, and threaten the foundations of international peace and security.
IRAN’S AMBASSADOR to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani addresses the General Assembly during a ceremonial tribute to Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi, after the president was killed in a helicopter crash, in May. (credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS)
Khamenei accuses protestors of acting on foreign interests
In a speech broadcast in Iran on Friday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump.
In his speech, Khamenei called on protesters to “preserve unity,” warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners.”
With Iran’s anti-government unrest evolving rapidly and foreign pressure mounting, the clerical establishment appears unable, for now, to tackle what has become a crisis of legitimacy at the heart of the Islamic Republic.
When asked in an interview on Thursday at what point the US would intervene, given that over 30 protestors have been killed so far, Trump claimed that many protestors have been “killed by problems with crowd control” and that he “isn’t sure [he] can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that.”
On Friday, Trump said that the US was watching what was happening very closely and that “if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.”
Trump clarified that “that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
IDF soldiers were deployed to the scene in the outskirts of Jalud, a village under the jurisdiction of the Samaria Brigade, but found no suspects.
People examine cars damaged and vandalized by attackers in the Arab village of Ein Rafa, near Jerusalem, January 8, 2026(photo credit: JAMAL AWAD/FLASH90)ByTZVI JASPER, SHOSHANA BAKER Updated:
The IDF on Friday announced a series of strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon “in response to Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire understandings.”
The IDF also announced that, in collaboration with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), it had struck several Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Thursday night.
The strikes targeted Hamas terrorists, rocket launch sites, and additional terrorist infrastructure.
This attempted launch was in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas terrorists targeted, and killed
Following the strikes, the IDF confirmed the following terrorists had been identified and confirmed as eliminated in the operation.
Kamal Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Awad served as the head of the anti-tank missile unit within the Hamas terrorist organization. Ahmad Thabet was the head of a weapons workshop in a Hamas department, and Ahmad Abd al-Fattah Saeed Maghdalawi who was a member of the Nukhba terrorist unit in the Nuseirat Battalion.
Maghdalawi infiltrated Israel and participated in the deadly massacre on October 7th, which included the attack on the Nova music festival.
The IDF also reported the discovery of a rocket launcher on thursday with two loaded rockets that were ready to be launched toward Israel during continued operations to dismantle terrorist infrastructure within the Yellow Line border in the northern Gaza Strip.
IDF responds to settler violence in West Bank
Additionally, the IDF on Thursday night responded to a report that Israeli citizens had vandalized a Palestinian school building and its contents.
Soldiers were deployed to the scene on the outskirts of Jalud, a village under the jurisdiction of the Samaria Brigade, but found no suspects.
Additional reports were received of Israeli citizens vandalizing Palestinian property, including setting cars on fire.
The demonstrations, which began in Tehran last month, have spread to all of Iran’s 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-3 unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
Khosro Isfahani: Iran’s protests and Crown Prince Pahlavi’s call to the streets!
ByALEX WINSTONUpdated: The Jerusalem Post’s News editor, Alex Winston, sits down with Senior Research Analyst Khosro Isfahani from the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) to unpack the first 12 days of protests in Iran, the regime’s response, and what might happen after Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s calls for united protests on Iran’s streets.
Isfahani said demonstrations have spread “from north to south, from east to west,” with participants chanting in support of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and facing arrests and live fire from security forces.
Isfahani, who was born and raised in Iran and now serves as a senior research analyst with the Washington-based NGO, said the movement’s focus has shifted from economic grievances to a clear demand for a secular democracy. He added that activists are preparing for coordinated evening actions after Pahlavi urged Iranians to take to the streets at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
The analyst argued that the Islamic Republic frames its project as delivering “justice on earth,” a vision that has fueled conflict beyond Iran’s borders while costing thousands of lives at home during previous protest waves. “This man has walked through a sea of blood,” Isfahani said, referring to Khamenei.
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8, 2026. (credit: Kamran / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
Demonstrations near two-week mark
The demonstrations, which began in Tehran last month, have spread to all of Iran’s 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-3 unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in detention for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes.
Starting in Tehran with shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar angered by a sharp slide in the rial currency, the latest protests now involve others – mainly young men rather than the women and girls who played a key role at the Amini protests.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), has reported at least 34 protesters and four security personnel killed, and 2,200 arrested during the unrest, which analysts say highlights a deeper disillusionment with the Shi’ite status quo.
