"Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accused Israel of exploiting the unrest as nationwide demonstrations escalated into 'vandalism' on Friday, speaking during a televised interview. “Some Israeli officials remarked that this time they do not need military operations with fighter jets and missiles to confront Iran, given that they are relying on structures built in Iran to embark on a new adventure in Iran,” he said. Israel had not commented on Larijani’s remarks or on the protests at the time of publication. Larijani accepted that the protests are driven by 'economic pressures' and vowed that calls from the people 'must be heeded', but denounced 'acts of sabotage' and violence, which he attributed to 'quasi-terrorist' groups. “Acts of sabotage can be monitored throughout protests, such as shooting, throwing Molotov cocktails, and so on […] Such acts do not represent the people; rather, they are perpetrated by quasi-terrorist groups inside cities,” he said, adding that mosques and Iranian flags had been set ablaze. Unrest has been reported in several Iranian cities, with demonstrations in some areas escalating into riots and damage to public property. On Tuesday, Tehran’s police chief said security forces had dealt with rioters 'robustly and firmly', adding that 'a large number' had been detained after being separated from protesters. Iran has faced a growing wave of protests since late December, beginning in Tehran and spreading nationwide amid rising living costs, economic strain and a sharp depreciation of the rial against the US dollar. Iranian authorities have said they are committed to addressing what they described as 'rightful' demands within existing capacities, while warning that 'enemy' actors are seeking to exploit economic grievances to fuel unrest. In a post published on his Truth Social account on January 2, Donald Trump warned that if Iranian authorities fired on protesters, the United States 'will come to their rescue'."