According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, Ali Larijani made the remarks during a national gathering of political directors and guides of the armed forces. Referring to what he described as a “12-day war,” he said that after the start of a military operation, efforts were made to push people into the streets, but that plan failed due to a lack of public support. According to Larijani, following this failure, attempts were made to turn economic grievances and peaceful protests into violent street unrest.
Larijani argued that the United States had shifted its tactics, focusing this time on undermining social cohesion inside Iran before pursuing any military action. He claimed that creating internal instability was seen as a prerequisite for external pressure or attack.
Acknowledging the existence of economic problems in the country, Larijani stressed that addressing these issues is the responsibility of the government and relevant institutions. However, he warned that such conditions can be exploited by Iran’s adversaries to advance security-related objectives.
He described the recent unrest as part of a multi-stage scenario, beginning with public gatherings, followed by targeted violence, broader riots, and ultimately an attempt to pave the way for military confrontation—an approach he said failed due to public unity.
The senior security official described the rioters as organized urban militant groups, claiming that Israel had previously spoken about creating internal networks inside Iran for use in future operations.
Larijani also said the unrest targeted symbols of Iran’s national and religious identity, including the national flag, religious sites, and widely recognized national figures. He questioned how the looting and burning of shops and public property could be justified as economic protest, arguing that such actions only deepen economic hardship rather than alleviate it.
According to Larijani, security assessments show that some individuals involved in the unrest entered the scene with firearms and quickly moved toward military and police facilities to obtain more weapons—behavior he described as an attempt to provoke internal conflict rather than express civil dissent.
He concluded by saying that Iranian society remains alert to such scenarios and that past experience has shown that when national security and sovereignty are threatened, public solidarity increases. Portraying the country as being in a state of emergency, he warned, is itself part of the pressure strategy pursued by Iran’s adversaries.