Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei admitted on Saturday that thousands of Iranians have been killed in more than two weeks of unrest in the country. He blamed the deaths on US President Donald Trump, who he said had “openly encouraged” the protesters by promising “military assistance” from the United States.
In a speech to the nation posted on his website, Khamenei called President Trump a “criminal” who was responsible for “both the casualties and the damage” during the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in late December, initially sparked by public anger over the dire economic situation.
Khamenei, 86, did not mention the brutal tactics of Iranian security forces in suppressing the protests. Witnesses and human rights groups said government forces opened fire on protesters from the streets and rooftops. More than 3,600 protesters were killed in the violence, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). CNN cannot independently verify this number.
One demonstrator in Tehran told CNN that in recent days, waves of unarmed people from the capital have poured into the streets as government forces shoot from rooftops and military drones fly overhead.
“They were aiming lasers and shooting people in the face,” said the witness, who asked not to be named for security reasons.
“They massacred people… They killed our children, our most beautiful, most gorgeous, most courageous.”
In a televised address on Saturday, Khamenei said the “rioters” involved in the riots fell into two categories. One is those who received support, funding, and training from the United States and Israel, and the other is the young people they influenced. The latter is said to be “a naive person manipulated by the mastermind.” He said these youths caused damage to power industry facilities, mosques, educational institutions, banks, medical facilities and grocery stores.
The Iranian government often blamed “foreign” agents for the deadly protests in the country, without providing evidence.
“By harming people, they (the ‘riots’) killed thousands of people,” Khamenei said.
“Some were killed by inhuman force… with complete barbarity,” the Iranian leader continued. “These actions were part of a blueprint prepared in advance by the rebels.”
Demonstrators in Tehran said they lit fires to counter tear gas and blocked roads to prevent motorcycle attacks by the Basij, Iran’s large volunteer militia founded by Ayatollah Khamenei and often used to suppress demonstrations.
“The only weapons people had were stones and they didn’t even have a chance to throw them,” they said.
“I know there’s a good chance I’ll be killed, but I’m still going because I want to take back Iran.”
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back against the reported death toll in “thousands,” telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that the number was actually in the hundreds and that any suggestion otherwise was part of a “misinformation campaign.”
In a speech on Saturday, Khamenei declared: “The United States must take responsibility.”
As the unrest continued, President Trump encouraged demonstrators to continue demonstrating and “takeover” state institutions, assuring them that “help is on the way.”
“We consider the US president a criminal, both because of the casualties and damage he caused, and because of the defamation of the Iranian people,” Khamenei said, according to a translation of excerpts from the speech posted on his website.
President Trump reacted quickly, calling for a new leader for Iran, calling Khamenei a “sick man” and saying he should “run the country properly and stop killing people.”
In an interview with Politico on Saturday morning, President Trump said that Khamenei “as the leader of the country” was guilty of “the complete destruction of the country and the use of a level of violence never seen before.”
“In order to keep the country functioning, even if that functionality is at a very low level, leaders should focus on running the country properly, as I do for the United States, and not kill thousands of people to maintain control,” Trump said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Khamenei on Sunday, saying any attack on the supreme leader would be considered an “all-out war” against Iran.
In his speech on Saturday, Khamenei acknowledged that Iran’s economic situation was “really difficult” but called on the people to unite “to protect the Islamic system and our beloved Iran.” He called on government officials to redouble their efforts to provide essential goods, livestock feed and other necessities.
Khamenei claimed on Saturday that the protests had been “quenched”, citing pro-government rallies held across Iran on Monday.
The Iranian government cut off internet connectivity on January 8 amid protests that were met with violent crackdowns by security forces. However, cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks said there was a “slight increase” in connections on Saturday morning.
“Overall connectivity remains at (approximately) 2% of normal levels with no sign of significant recovery,” NetBlocks added in a statement regarding X.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday that internet had been restored to “some subscribers” and said the shutdown was enacted due to what it called a “terrorist uprising” and “to ensure the safety of the country and its people.”
Some international landlines and local text messages also appear to be working again, a Tehran resident told CNN on Saturday. According to the resident, internet connectivity itself remains unstable in the country.
In a speech on Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader vowed to punish those who took part in the “uprising” but did not elaborate on what their punishment would be.
“We are not going to lead this country into war, but we are not going to let go of domestic criminals and, more importantly, international criminals,” he said. “We must proceed with this issue in our own way and with the right approach.”
According to HRANA, more than 24,000 protesters have been arrested. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers.
But concerns over the fate of some demonstrators grew after Tehran’s prosecutor announced last week that some of them could face the death penalty for their actions, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The State Department announced earlier this week that Iranian authorities were planning to execute one of the protesters, Erfan Soltani. His family later said his execution had been postponed and that President Trump had received assurances there were no executions planned in Iran. However, Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani had not been sentenced to death.
Iran’s foreign minister also said in an interview with Fox News that there are no plans to hang protesters.
“Not hanging over 800 people two days ago was the best decision I ever made,” President Trump said of Khamenei in response to a question from Politico on Saturday about a possible U.S. military operation in Iran.
In response to Trump’s comments, Tehran’s prosecutor Ali Salehi did not confirm or deny that he intended to execute so many people. “Our response will be decisive, deterrent and swift,” he told Iranian state media.
“Currently, a large number of cases have been prosecuted and referred to court,” he said.
