Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday condemned the United States for inciting the deadly unrest that has caused thousands of casualties in the Islamic Republic over the past few weeks.
Speaking during an address marking a religious holiday in Tehran, Khamenei accused the U.S. of planning the unrest with the aim of "swallowing up Iran."
He described U.S. President Donald Trump as a "criminal" responsible for the killings and destruction in the recent riots in Iran, noting that Trump personally intervened, commented publicly, and encouraged the rioters by pledging military support.
Khamenei said that while Iran would not seek war, it "will not refrain from punishing those responsible for unrest, both inside the country and abroad".
His remarks came as domestic protests appeared to have subsided after weeks of nationwide demonstrations that began in late December over economic grievances but later turned violent.
Iranian authorities said the peaceful protests had been hijacked by "vandals", and the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Friday that security forces had detained about 3,000 people in connection with the unrest.
Amid the easing tensions, short message service in Iran resumed on Saturday, while schools will reopen on Sunday after a one-week closure, according to Iranian media.
Iran's supreme leader condemns US for inciting deadly unrest
Iran's supreme leader condemns US for inciting deadly unrest
One month into the island-wide special customs operations, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in south China has seen a sharp rise in global tourist traffic and duty-free purchases, official figures showed on Sunday.
According to Haikou Customs, from Dec 18, 2025 to Jan 17, 2026, the duty-free sales supervised by customs reached 4.86 billion yuan (about 693.5 million U.S. dollars), up 46.8 percent year-on-year, and the number of shoppers rose 30.2 percent year-on-year to 745,000, showing sustained strong consumption vitality.
Data from the Haikou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station shows that during the past month, Hainan ports inspected 186,000 foreign travelers entering and exiting the island province, up 46 percent year on year.
To accommodate the rising passenger traffic, border inspection authorities have comprehensively upgraded both software and hardware facilities to ensure efficient clearance processes and high-quality service.
"We are going to be staying there for a couple of nights, enjoying the beach and everything. No transfers, just straight [to Hainan]. It gives us a lot more time to look around here," said Mark, a U.S. tourist.
"We Thai nationals also get visa-free entry here for tourism purposes (with no need to transfer flights), which saves time and is very convenient. The police officers always try their best to assist us tourists," said a Thai tourist.
For many visitors, duty-free shopping has become an indispensable part of their itineraries. Especially since the launch of island-wide special customs operations, duty-free shopping has been exceptionally booming, highlighting the strong vitality and huge potential of Hainan as an international tourism and consumption center.
To better meet the diverse needs of tourists, Hainan's duty-free policy ushered in a new round of adjustments on Nov. 1, 2025. The categories of duty-free goods increased from 45 to 47, and the beneficiary range was expanded to include outbound travelers, attracting more international tourists to duty-free shopping.
"[The malls] are big, the pleasant prices, very modern, a lot of brands, and almost everything that I need," said Deanna, a Russian tourist.
In addition, the new duty-free policy has significantly lowered the purchase threshold for local residents. Under the policy, local residents with a departure record can purchase up to 15 "pick-up" items at any time throughout the year, which has also stimulated the shopping enthusiasm.
"This has led to the gradual expansion of duty-free shopping from an exclusive privilege for travelers to becoming a part of Hainan's local life. Meanwhile, the number of international visitors continues to grow steadily, significantly broadening the customer base," said Wang Ren'an, manager of the operations department of Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex under China Duty Free Group.
China on Dec 18 last year launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, the largest free trade port globally by geographical area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanded zero-tariff coverage and more business-friendly measures.
Duty-free shopping booms in Hainan amid int'l visitor surge
