The Iranian president has called the anti-government protesters “opponents”, threatening that the Islamic Republic will deal with them with “no mercy”.

“We will show no mercy to the hostile opponents,” President Ebrahim Raisi said in a speech to members of the Revolutionary Guards Basij militia and supporters of the regime in Tehran Tuesday,

Raisi also accused the exiled Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MEK), which he referred to as hypocrites, as well as monarchists and “all anti-revolutionary currents” of being behind the current protests which began in mid-September following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

The regime has already shown an iron feast in dealing with peaceful protesters two among whom it has executed while dozens of others face a risk of being hanged after unfair trials without due process.

Security forces have cracked down heavily on protesters, killed over 500 hundred and arrested over 18,000 so far.

Raisi once again claimed that the protesting youths have been“deceived” by those who are hostile to the Islamic Republic. “The nation’s arms are open to embrace all those who were lured [to protest],” he said while reiterating that the people on the streets are rioters. “The recent riots were [similar to] the Battle of Trench [fought by the Prophet Muhammad against his foe Abu Sufyan] with everyone joining in [with the enemy].”

Raisi stated that the Islamic Republic will not back down from its position as it is determined only to “move forward” under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Within the past couple of months Iranians have been calling for the downfall of the Islamic regime, blaming the Supreme Leader as the main culprit behind the killing of hundreds of innocent demonstrators.