Khamenei said: “[The PMOI] have been ready since months ago … since several months ago (they were ready) to organize, and meet this person and that; and to select some people inside the country, find them and help them, so they would come and call on the people. They announced their call, and made the slogan “No to high prices”. Well, this is a slogan that everyone likes. They managed to attract some people with this slogan. And then, they could come to the scene and pursue their goals, and make the people follow them”.

During his speech to a group of government clerics and selected agents, Khamenei also showed that he was scared of his people (as every dictator should be) who are currently chanting slogans like “Death to Khamenei” and “Feel shame Khamenei, let go of the country”.

The uprising is happening in all Iranian provinces and in 131 cities, but Khamenei dismissed it as “fireworks and devious work” as if the people’s rightful anger at a system that abuses human rights and steals from its people was a mere spectacle.

He also claimed, whilst acknowledging that the protests are still ongoing, that the Regime’s enemies were to blame. To which many have asked, “what did you expect when you became the enemy of your people?”. That’s right, the Regime’s enemies did start this protest because the Iranian people are the Regime’s enemies.

A statement from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on Tuesday, January 9, read: “The ruling mullahs must learn from their predecessors that these excuses do not work anymore. The only option is what the Iranian people are crying out with all their power: “Feel shame Khamenei, let go of the country”; otherwise, the people of Iran will send him and his criminal rule to the trash bin of history forever.”

A week ago, the IRGC commander Jafari said the uprising had ended, while President Hassan Rouhani said it would be over in two days. In reality, these protests are not going away anytime soon.