'Peaceful protests turned violent': Iran blames US and Israel amid nationwide unrest

Iran unrest, blame shifts outward

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday (January 9) the government was engaging with different social groups to address problems as protests sparked by growing economic hardships persist, while accusing the United States and Israel of interfering in unrest and seeking to turn peaceful protests into violence.

"The government is trying to engage with different classes and various sectors to resolve the problems. Both the United States and Israel have officially stated that they have interference and a role in these riots, and they are trying to turn these demonstrations and protests, which are peaceful, into violence and riots," Araqchi said at a press conference in Lebanon.

Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb growing unrest, as video showed buildings and vehicles ablaze in anti-government protests raging through the streets of several cities.

In a televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to back down, accusing demonstrators of acting on behalf of émigré opposition groups and the United States, as rights groups reported police firing on protesters in the south.