Iranian cleric blames social media for anti-government protests

A hard-line cleric leading Friday prayers in Iran's capital called on the Islamic Republic to build its own social media, blaming people who were taking advantage of apps to fuel the unrest that followed days of protests over the country's flagging economy.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's comments show the power the internet has wielded amid the price protests that began on December 28 and quickly spread across the country.

At least 21 people have been killed in the unrest surrounding the protests over rising food prices and Iran's flagging economy before spreading to cities across nearly all of Iran's provinces. 

Authorities have described the protests as waning.

With travel restricted across Iran, for a nation of 80 million people – roughly two-and-a-half times the size of Texas – online videos and images posted by activists have served as one of the few ways of seeing the demonstrations in a country where all radio and television stations are state-run.

However, such images represent only a moment in time and can be mischaracterized as well, which makes seeing what's going on that much more difficult.

"Cyberspace was kindling the fire of the battle," Khatami said. "When cyberspace was closed down, the sedition was stopped."

"The nation does not support a social network that has its key in the hands of the US."

Whose protest is bigger?

Amid the unrest and anti-government rallies that began last week, Iran has also seen three days of pro-government demonstrations, with crowds in the tens of thousands. A similar rally followed Friday prayers in Tehran.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said about 42,000 people at most took part in the week of anti-government protests. Fazli said they went on as long as they did because of the "leniency, restrain (sic), tolerance and interaction" of the government. He did not elaborate.

Fazli's comments marked the first government estimate of participation in the protests and appeared timed so authorities could contrast it against the mass crowds brought together for the pro-government demonstrations.

Amid the unrest, Iran blocked access to the messaging app Telegram, which protesters have used to share videos and plan their rallies. 

Estimates suggest the app has 42 million users in Iran alone and its disruption appears to have affected the protests.

Tehran blames CIA for demonstrations

The Trump administration has acknowledged looking at ways to help Iranian protesters access social media, but hasn't made any decisions on how to do so. 

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly tweeted praise for the protesters, infuriating Iranian officials.

Later Friday, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, called for by the US, is expected to discuss the ongoing unrest.

With council members divided in their views of the demonstrations that have roiled the Islamic Republic, it's not yet clear how the discussion will take shape or what might come out of it.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday that the US calls for the meeting interfere with the country's sovereignty.

The deputy minister added that Tehran's statements that external influences fomented the protests were not groundless and that the US uses any possible method to destabilise governments it dislikes.

Iran on Thursday directly blamed a CIA official for the protests. The Trump administration has denied having any hand in the protests, and the CIA declined to comment.

The cleric, Khatami, repeated those CIA accusations during his sermon to thousands in Tehran, saying Israel and Saudi Arabia backed the American efforts that used Iranian exile groups, like the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK).

State television reported on Friday that Iranian security forces arrested three suspected MEK members in the city of Boroujerd, some 300 kilometres (185 miles) southwest of Tehran. 

It said the team was involved in "many sabotage activities," in recent days, without elaborating.

The MEK did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Khatami has called for internet apps to have their servers in Iran and the Iranian government to oversee their operations. He also said those who burn Iran's flag should face the death penalty.

Many in Iran learned of the flag burning at protests through online videos.

Daesh publication declares support for protests

In Daesh's latest weekly publication Al Nabaa, the terror group describes the protests as a "revolution against the regime" and an uprising against Wilayat al-Faqih, or Iran's system of governance by clerics.

Friday's statement also says the messages sent through the protesters to their rulers are "highly important" and that they should continue.

Daesh views those who subscribe to other religions and or Muslim sects other than Sunnism, including Shiaism, as apostates. 

Daesh claimed responsibility for a rare attack in Tehran in June that killed 17 people at the parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.