TEHRAN – Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, declared that the unrest experienced in Iran on January 8th and 9th was a highly coordinated, ISIS-like terrorist war, directly instigated by the U.S. President. 

He explicitly compared the plot’s structure to the 2024 terrorist pager attacks carried out by Israel in Lebanon, signaling a foreign-orchestrated campaign of organized urban violence aimed at fracturing the nation.

Speaking at a public session of the parliament, Qalibaf stated that the recent sedition is a continuation of past hostile actions against Iran, ignited by American intervention. He accused the U.S. President of abandoning diplomatic niceties by first ordering the creation of crises and then actively encouraging rioters to remain on the streets to continue the chaos after initial efforts failed.

“Every single one of these actions would be considered a clear crime in any fair international court,” Qalibaf noted. He detailed the calculated plan involved “naked, organized violence, armed terrorist attacks, and extremely harsh urban warfare” designed to murder thousands of citizens, Basij forces, and security personnel. The ultimate goal, he explained, was to instill mass panic, paralyze the Iranian people’s ability to reason, and pave the way for division and invasion by the Americans and their mercenaries.

Qalibaf credited Iran’s swift restoration of security not to modern military might, but to two unique elements: the nation’s devotion to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s guidance and the people’s operational support. He praised the Leader’s decisive speeches which, he noted, separated legitimate protesters from destructive rioters and prevented the security forces from becoming confused or hesitant.

This guidance was immediately followed by the people. Qalibaf highlighted the immense sacrifice made by defenders of the nation—police, Basij, and IRGC forces—who were “hacked to pieces” and “burned,” yet ultimately defeated the terrorist project. The resulting massive public turnout in rallies voicing support for the country last Monday was hailed as a historic victory equivalent to the Islamic Revolution’s anniversary, he pointed out. 

The Speaker added that the enemy’s failure in this American-Zionist plot confirms that Iran is now “the most dangerous place in the world for terrorists and traitors.” He affirmed that the Iranian nation remains fiercely loyal to the Ayatollah Khamenei, viewing him as the “global voice of resistance against corrupt tyrants like the U.S. President and the Zionist regime.” Qalibaf vowed that the nation remains ready to sacrifice everything to protect the country.