Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Saturday claimed that Israel’s spy agency was operating inside Iran as protests over economic grievances spread across the country.
At least ten people have been killed during the unrest, according to Iranian state media and human rights organisations, including two members of the Basij paramilitary force. Authorities warned demonstrators that economic grievances would not be allowed to spiral into wider unrest.
“The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope,” Mr Pompeo wrote on X. “Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege — Mashhad, Tehran, Zahedan. Next stop: Baluchestan," he added.
“Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them."
The unusual remarks came days after a Mossad-linked social media account posted in Farsi, encouraging Iranians to take part in protests and claiming the spy agency would join demonstrators “in the field”.
Iranian security agencies have repeatedly accused foreign actors of stoking unrest, describing the protests as externally driven attempts to destabilise the country.
In June, Mossad had hundreds of agents involved in Israel’s 12-day war, which set back Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes, damaged its air defence systems and killed dozens of Tehran's top military and intelligence officials.
For many in Iran, the broader Middle East and beyond, the scale of the breach was shocking. Years of Mossad infiltration enabled internal sabotage with smuggled drones used to strike air-defence radars, missile systems and launchers from inside Iran.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump threatened intervention if Iranian authorities violently suppressed protesters. “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” he wrote on social media.
Senator Lindsay Graham later said that "a weakened Iran - a nation run by religious nazis - is due to President Trump’s efforts to isolate Iran economically and to use military force wisely".
"It is time to Make Iran Great Again," he wrote on X.
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
