Larijani: The Enemy Sought to Target the Symbols of National Identity

Larijani stated that during the “12‑day war,” after military operations began, external actors expected the Iranian public to take to the streets.

He said their plan was to draw people into widespread demonstrations, but this did not materialize. According to him, economic grievances and peaceful protests were deliberately steered toward street violence.

He added that U.S. President Donald Trump had openly stated that if a social crisis emerged in Iran, military action would follow. Larijani argued that this represented a shift in U.S. strategy—first attempting to fracture public unity, then pursuing military pressure.
The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said that adversaries had targeted the key strength Iran demonstrated during the 12‑day conflict.
Larijani acknowledged the existence of economic challenges and emphasized the need for government action, but warned that foreign actors were exploiting these conditions for their own objectives.
He noted that the recent unrest was designed in four stages: public gatherings, targeted killings, widespread disorder, and ultimately military intervention—plans he said were thwarted by public unity.
He described the groups involved in the unrest as “urban quasi‑terrorist networks,” asserting that months earlier, Israeli officials had spoken of using structures established inside Iran for new operations.
Larijani argued that the goal was to attack symbols of Iran’s national identity, including the national flag, statues of General Qassem Soleimani, and religious sites such as mosques and Qur’anic institutions.
He questioned why, if the issue was purely economic, commercial centers were looted and set on fire, suggesting that the intent went beyond economic protest. He asked whether a security crisis would alleviate economic problems or deepen them.
Larijani said the Iranian people remain vigilant, while adversaries aim to undermine social cohesion and pit segments of society against one another. He argued that foreign actors misunderstand the Iranian public, believing that urban unrest could pave the way for military action. According to him, Iranians have repeatedly shown that they defend their national integrity, as demonstrated in the mass mobilization of January 11.
He added that security forces had identified and arrested several leaders of the unrest, noting that some individuals had been misled, while others carried weapons such as G3 rifles and pistols—indicating, he said, organized involvement rather than spontaneous protest.
Larijani concluded that attempts to seize military and security facilities showed an intention to provoke internal conflict, and that portraying the country as being in a state of emergency aligns with the broader strategy by Iran’s adversaries.