Iran’s government has rallied tens of thousands of its supporters to counter anti-regime protests which have gripped the country for the last week. The demonstrators turned out in towns and cities rocked by some of the largest riots in nearly a decade, where people have been protesting against rising costs and corruption. The crowds in Qom, Ahvaz and Kermanshah waved Iranian flags and pictures of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as signs reading "Death to seditionists". Pro-government demonstrators march in Iran's holy city of Qom, some 90 miles south of Tehran Credit: AFP Some also held placards saying “Death to America and Israel”, referencing the ayatollah’s comments on Tuesday accusing Iran’s foreign enemies of fermenting the unrest. The semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated to the elite Revolutionary Guards, described the well-attended rallies as “the revolutionary outburst of Iranian people against lawbreakers”. Such rallies are often organised by
