India, Jan. 4 -- Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday issued a warning in first comments over protests in the country and declared that "rioters must be put in their place" after a week of agitations that have shaken the Islamic Republic.

At least 15 people have died in protests surrounded by violence across Iran sparked by the ailing economy.

The first remarks by the 86-year-old supreme leader came a day after US President Donald Trump warned that if Tehran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the United States "will come to their rescue."

Responding to Trump's warning, Khamenei said, "That ranting American sits there talking about the Iranian nation, spewing a combination of slander and promises. False promises! Deception...