Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to yield after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters, as rights groups reported a sharp rise in arrests following days of unrest sparked by soaring inflation.

Khamenei addressed the protests through his official Farsi-speaking account, calling the Bazzaris "among the most loyal Iranians in the country.

Supreme leader says authorities should only ‘talk to protesters’, not rioters, as antigovernment demonstrations grow.

Iran’s supreme leader has addressed the ongoing protests, insisting that “rioters must be put in their place.”

But Khamenei cautioned: “Authorities must have dialogue with protesters; it is useless to have dialogue with rioters. Those must be put in their place.” President Trump posted Friday on Truth Social that the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” to defend protesters in Iran.

Iran security forces clashed with protesters in Tehran, Shiraz and Kermanshah as opposition groups report gunfire and demonstrators chant "Death to Khamenei" during unrest.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged the economic demands of protesters, while warning against what he described as rioting and insisting that “rioters must be put in their place.”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains defiant as U.S. President Trump threatens intervention amidst rising protests in Iran. The unrest is fueled by a plummeting economy due to severe inflation and sanctions.