Iran’s supreme leader has blamed the country’s "enemies" for the unrest across the nation, as the death toll amid demonstrations rose above 20.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was speaking for the first time since protesters clashed with security forces last Thursday.
On the sixth day of protests, riot police were out in force in several cities as security struggled to contain the clashes on Tuesday.
Nine people, including a child, died overnight in violent scenes in central Iran, according to local reports.
The protests – the largest since Iran’s disputed presidential election in 2009 – began last Thursday in the city of Mashhad.
They initially erupted over price rises and corruption, but have since spread amid wider anti-government sentiment.
In a post on his official website, Iran's supreme leader was quoted saying: "In recent days, enemies of Iran used different tools including cash, weapons, politics and intelligence services to create troubles for the Islamic Republic."
Khamenei said on his website that he would address the nation about the events "when the time is right".
On the protests, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday: "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime ... The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!"
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said: "Instead of wasting his time by publishing offensive tweets to other nations, Trump should focus on internal affairs of America."
A US official told Reuters U.S. intelligence officials think the protesters have little chance of toppling the government.
The EU called on Iran to guarantee its citizens' right to peaceful protest, saying it had been in touch with Iranian authorities and was monitoring the situation
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