Iran’s president says U.S. blockade aims to spark protests

1 hour ago 8

Iran has repeatedly accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting unrest inside the country, and in recent months has executed several Iranians accused of collaborating with its foes.

Author of the article:

AFP

Published Oct 15, 2026  •  1 minute read

101526-2299514333The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah in the east of the UAE on October 13, 2026. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply cut growth forecasts for the Middle East and Central Asia in 2026, citing "a longer closure of the Strait of Hormuz, compared with the baseline assumptions in the April" report, and predicting a major rebound in 2027 based on the expected reopening of the waterway. Photo by - /AFP via Getty Images

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Advertisement 2

Toronto Sun

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
  • Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
  • Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
  • Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
  • Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
  • Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
  • Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
  • Enjoy additional articles per month
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors

Article content

Tehran, Oct 15, 2026 (AFP) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that the country was facing its most intense blockade since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, accusing the United States of seeking to provoke public protests.

Article content

Article content

Iran and the United States have been at war since February 28, when U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Over the 48 years since the Revolution, we have never faced such intense blockade, war and difficulties as we are facing now,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast by state television.

He accused Washington of seeking to make life difficult for Iranians in order to fuel public anger and trigger unrest.

Pezeshkian said the U.S. was focusing its efforts on making “the people become upset and face difficulties, and then for social protests to emerge so that they can achieve their sinister objectives”.

The U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, diverting or stopping vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports.

Iran has repeatedly accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting unrest inside the country, and in recent months has executed several Iranians accused of collaborating with its foes.

In late December last year, protests over the cost of living erupted in Iran, spreading nationwide and evolving into a wider anti-government movement.

Iran’s rulers blamed the U.S. and Israel for the unrest.

Article content

*** Disclaimer: This Article is auto-aggregated by a Rss Api Program and has not been created or edited by Bdtype.

(Note: This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News Rss Api. News.bdtype.com Staff may not have modified or edited the content body.

Please visit the Source Website that deserves the credit and responsibility for creating this content.)

Watch Live | Source Article