Iran's Khamenei alleges US behind recent unrest

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US and allies of fomenting unrest in Iran amid protests over the country's faltering economy.

State TV quoted Khamenei as saying the US has formed a coalition with other regional countries that is unable to defeat Iran.

Khamenei didn't name any specific nations in the so-called "coalition" but alleged it is imposing economic pressure on Iran to "separate the nation from the system."

He said: "If the US was able to overpower the Islamic system, it would not have needed to form a coalition with notorious countries of the region to create chaos, unrest and insecurity in Iran."

Last week, online videos showed police firing tear gas at protesters angered by Iran's faltering economy. It was the first such confrontation after similar demonstrations rocked the country at the start of the year.

Iran has faced mounting economic woes since the US in May pulled out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers that lifted international sanctions in exchange for a scaling back of the Islamic Republic's atomic programme.

Last week vendors in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, a traditional area of support for Iran's leadership, went on strike over the collapse of the rial on foreign exchange markets.