Khamenei calls Trump a 'criminal' and blames protesters for 'several thousand' deaths
Iran’s supreme leader blamed protesters for thousands of deaths and called President Trump a "criminal" for backing unrest, while limited internet access returned in parts of Iran.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called U.S. President Donald Trump a "criminal" for endorsing anti-government protesters, and asserted that the unrest had left "several thousand" people dead. The comments were carried by state television and represented the first public estimate from Iran's highest authority of the scale of casualties since protests began on Dec. 28.
Khamenei blamed demonstrators for widespread destruction and deaths, and accused foreign powers of backing the unrest. His remarks came after days of tense exchanges between Tehran and Washington, an extended internet blackout inside Iran, and reports of a heavy security crackdown.
What Khamenei said
In a state-broadcast speech, Khamenei accused Trump of encouraging protesters, and repeated allegations that foreign actors were arming rioters. He characterised the demonstrators as "foot soldiers" of the United States and accused them of targeting mosques and educational centres. He urged officials to pursue both domestic and international offenders.
We do consider the U.S. president a criminal, because of casualties and damages, because of accusations against the Iranian nation.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Casualty figures and sources
Khamenei’s "several thousand" figure is the first such public estimate from Iran’s leadership. Independent counts are difficult because of restricted access and communications. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of local contacts, has reported at least 3,095 deaths. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify that toll.
U.S. remarks and Tehran’s response
In recent days, President Trump had told Iranians that "help is on the way" and said his administration would "act accordingly" if killings continued or if authorities executed detained protesters. At one point Trump said Iran had "cancelled the hanging of over 800 people," and added, "I greatly respect the fact that they canceled." He did not specify his source for that information.
Iranian officials pushed back. The state news agency IRNA quoted Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Salehi saying, "Trump always makes futile and irrelevant statements. Our attitude is severe, preventive and fast."
Trump always makes futile and irrelevant statements. Our attitude is severe, preventive and fast.
Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Salehi
Internet access and everyday life
Authorities cut nearly all internet access on Jan. 8 during the unrest. On Saturday, witnesses reported limited restoration of text messaging and restricted access to local websites. Some users accessed international services via VPN. Traffic-monitoring groups Cloudflare and NetBlocks recorded slight increases in connectivity, while Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported similar developments.
The partial return of services may reflect loosening for the start of the working week, or targeted restores to alleviate business disruptions. Banks and other services had been affected by the outage, complicating transactions inside Iran.
Protests, politics and what comes next
The protests began on Dec. 28 over economic grievances and quickly broadened into wider anti-government demonstrations. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest. Khamenei also alleged rioters used live ammunition imported from abroad, without identifying suppliers.
Calls for renewed demonstrations by exiled figures, including former crown prince Reza Pahlavi, did not produce visible mass protests in Tehran by the weekend. State media reported normal street life and shopping in some cities, though the security presence remains high and officials have signalled a tough response to dissent.
What to watch
- Any independent confirmation of casualty figures from international monitors or local organisations.
- Further changes to internet access and how businesses cope with outages.
- Statements from diplomatic partners and potential international responses to executions or mass arrests.
- Domestic legal actions or security operations announced by Iranian authorities.
For now, Iran appears to be in an uneasy calm, with leaders asserting control and critics warning of a harsh response. The scale of the human toll and the political fallout will shape relations between Tehran and foreign capitals in the weeks ahead.
IranKhameneiTrumpprotestsinternet
