Press TV - Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani has said certain countries are waging a "proxy war" against the Islamic Republic via social media and the internet.

On Monday, Shamkhani noted that the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia are behind the recent riots in Iran, stressing that the hashtags and social media campaigns cornering the situation in Iran are all in fact being guided by these countries.

"Based on our analyses, around 27 percent of the new hashtags against Iran are generated by the Saudi government," he added.

Shamkhani added that this foreign-backed intervention is aimed at hampering Iran’s progress in different spheres.

"What is happening in Iran will be over in a few days, and there is no reason to worry at all," he noted.

Since Thursday, groups of Iranian protesters have staged demonstrations in several cities to voice their anger over rising prices and economic conditions. Sporadic violence has erupted during the protests, causing a number of casualties.



Earlier in the day, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani reiterated that the Iranian people are completely free to express their criticism of the government or stage protests according to the Constitution and citizenship rights, noting that the people would deal with a "small and minority group" of rioters and lawbreakers exploiting the protests as an excuse to chant slogans in violation of the law and people's demands, insult the sanctities and values of the Islamic Revolution, and damage public property.