Khamenei Calls For Unity As Protests Continue

Local news agencies in Iran carrying comments from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issuing a call for unity against 'security threats' following an attack on a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz. Says that “the tragic crime [in Shahcheragh shrine in Shiraz] will surely punished.”

• Comes a day after gunmen killed at least 15 at a Shia shrine in the city, with Islamic State later claiming responsibility for the attack. The scale of public distrust in the gov't has seen widespread questioning of the gov'ts claims of who carried out the atrocity, with mass shootings a rarity in Iran.
• Protests continue to take place across the country, with security forces clashing with and shooting at demonstrators. Thousands have traveled to the northwestern city of Saghez, the hometown of Mahsa Amini, whose death in policy custody sparked the current unrest.
• The threat to the stability of the Iranian regime is the greatest since the 2009 Green movement against the re-election of then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• There remains significant western focus on Iran The regime's supposed supplying of military drones to Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine has dented the already slim prospect of a compromise on the nuclear agreement being reached to bring the US and Iran back into the JCPoA.