Illegal sanctions pressure is the root cause of the protests in Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said

The West is seeking regime change in Iran and is using the color-revolution playbook, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, commenting on the ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic.

Foreign nations want to turn a peaceful protest into "cruel and senseless unrest," she warned, adding that Moscow condemns interference in Iran's internal affairs.

US President Donald Trump has openly expressed his support for the protesters in recent days. The US is "locked and loaded" to intervene in Iran to support the demonstrations, he said, adding that America would "start shooting" if the authorities use force against the crowds.

Israel openly endorsed the unrest as well. Its national intelligence agency Mossad has admitted to having operatives in the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has blamed the protests on Washington and West Jerusalem by saying that the US and Israel had a "big hand" in the unrest.

Russia "resolutely condemns disruptive foreign interference" in Iran's domestic politics, Zakharova told journalists on Tuesday. Washington's threats to use force against the Islamic Republic are "absolutely unacceptable," she said, warning that any strikes against Iran could destabilize the entire Middle East.

The spokeswoman also blamed the economic crisis in Iran that triggered the protests on Western sanctions. The West has been "pressuring" Iran for years through the illegal restrictions, she said, adding that the sanctions were affecting the lives of ordinary people. Now, Western nations are trying to exploit the resulting social and economic tensions to "destroy the Iranian state," she said.

The protests erupted in several Iranian cities on December 28, as the national currency, the rial, hit a record low. They quickly spread to other cities and turned political and violent, marking the worst unrest in recent years.

On Monday, Trump stated that Washington was considering "strong options" against Iran amid the unrest. On Tuesday, the US warned Americans to "leave Iran" immediately. Tehran has previously warned that it could target US forces in the Middle East if Washington tries to intervene.