"The current special economic conditions are considered an economic war," judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said in a letter to Khamenei, calling for the creation of special courts to tackle financial crimes, state television reported.
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Khamenei responded by saying that the courts should aim to punish those guilty of corruption "quickly and fairly."
The statements came amid public protests against high costs of living in the country and alleged corrupt financial practices.
The combination of financial hardship and an apparent political crisis have sparked sporadic anti-corruption demonstrations across the nation, according to Reuters.