Bloomberg | Golnar Motevalli & Ladane Nasseri:�Iran�s labor minister pledged to listen to the demands of protesters who�ve taken to the streets over the past week even as state-run media said counter-rallies�are being staged to support the government.
��We are all responsible when it comes to recent events,� Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ali Rabei�said, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. �The government and authorities will listen to people�s demands and will make every effort to materialize them.�

�There were no reports of fresh protests in the capital on Wednesday amid a heavy police presence. About 20 people, including several policemen, have been killed since the unrest broke out last week.

�The protests have intensified talks within the Trump administration about imposing fresh sanctions against the Islamic Republic, as the U.S. president seized on the crisis to justify his long-standing opposition to a 2015 nuclear agreement.

�The semi-official Islamic Students News Agency said �spontaneous� pro-government rallies were taking place in many provinces. Demonstrations backing the ruling establishment in Iran are often organized by authorities.