The US and Israeli intelligence services have unleashed a media war to discourage Iranians, said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“The goal of this media war is to create anxiety ... and pessimism among people toward each other and the authorities, and to exaggerate economic problems in the minds of the public” he said.

“Based on our intelligence, the U.S. and Zionist (Israeli) spy agencies, financed by the super-rich of our region, have set up an organization for this media war and are seriously planning and trying to infect the advertising space and the minds in our community,” Reuters reported quoting Khamenei. 

Since the beginning of this year, Iran's national currency has begun to depreciate. This process accelerated after US President Donald Trump announced US withdrawal from a nuclear deal.

The devaluation of the currency provoked an inflation and an increase in the prices of consumer goods and fuel. Protests were held against the worsening financial situation in several Iranian cities.