Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly acknowledged that “thousands” were killed during the Iran protests and has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of responsibility, while also pointing to links he says connect the unrest to the United States and Israel.
In remarks reported by multiple outlets, Khamenei also described Trump as a “criminal” and said the United States should be held accountable, while protests and a crackdown have unfolded alongside major communications restrictions inside Iran.
Khamenei acknowledges deaths
Khamenei said “thousands” died during weeks of unrest and described some of the killings as occurring in an “inhuman, savage manner,” marking a rare public admission of the scale of deaths during the protests.
He said Trump was responsible for casualties and damage tied to the unrest and framed the situation as a U.S.-driven “conspiracy,” adding that America’s goal is to dominate Iran and return it to political, military, and economic subjugation.
Claims of US-Israel links
Khamenei said people “linked to Israel and the US” caused major damage and were responsible for the deaths of “thousands,” according to reports citing Iranian state media.
He also said Iran would not lead the country into war but insisted that domestic and international “criminals” would not go unpunished, while other reporting said he claimed Iran has evidence supporting allegations of U.S. and Israeli involvement in the killings.
Internet blackout and partial return
During the unrest, telecommunications in Iran were heavily disrupted after authorities imposed a blockade starting January 8, and reporting said that while people regained the ability to send text messages, access to the global internet remained restricted with many limited to state-controlled platforms on the national intranet.
Reporting also said Iranian media described internet access as partially restored for some people after what was described as a record blackout, after the government shut down internet and mobile phone services in response to escalating unrest.
Cleric’s threat and calls for executions
As Iran returned to what was described as an uneasy calm, hard-line cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami called for the death penalty for detained protesters and issued a direct threat toward President Trump in a sermon broadcast by Iranian state radio.
In that sermon, Khatami described protesters as “butlers” for Israel’s prime minister and “soldiers of Trump,” and he warned that Trump and Israel’s leader should expect “harsh revenge from the system.”according to NPR’s reporting of the Associated Press account.
International scrutiny and political messaging
Reporting said Khamenei’s admission came as international scrutiny of Iran’s crackdown continued, after officials had previously acknowledged significant casualties while blaming terrorists, foreign governments, and intelligence agencies for fomenting unrest.
That same reporting also cited comments from Reza Pahlavi calling the Islamic Republic a “hostile occupying force,” saying sustained pressure could hasten its collapse, and saying he believed Trump’s pledge that “help is on the way,” while also acknowledging uncertainty about timing and saying it was “never too late” for outside powers to intervene.
