Iran’s supreme leader has made his first public comments about the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died after she was detained by Iran’s so-called morality police for allegedly wearing her head scarf improperly. Speaking to military cadets at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday labeled nationwide protests that have broken out over Amini’s killing as “riots” — and he blamed the United States and Israel for organizing them.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: “I say this clearly, that these riots and insecurities were designed by America and the usurping and fake Zionist regime. They have sat down and planned this. They have planned this. And those who take their salaries, some being traitorous Iranians abroad, have helped them.”

President Biden said Monday he was “gravely concerned” about the intensifying violent crackdown on peaceful protesters, while promising to impose “further costs” on Iran. On Monday, Canada announced new sanctions against senior Iranian officials, while Germany and other European countries submitted more than a dozen proposals for new EU sanctions on Iran.