Irans army commander said on Thursday police forces had already quelled anti-government unrest but that his troops were ready to intervene if needed, official media reported. "Although this blind sedition was so small that a portion of the police force was able to nip it in the bud ... you can rest assured that your comrades in Iran’s army would be ready to confront the dupes of the Great Satan (United States)," Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi was quoted as saying. The protests erupted last week in working-class neighborhoods over economic stagnation, high unemployment and allegations of graft. Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi urged people to engage in civil disobedience and press on with their grievances. She told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iranians should stay on the street and that the constitution gave them the right to hold demonstrations.