Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has branded U.S. President Donald Trump a "criminal" for his public support of nationwide protests, while acknowledging for the first time that "several thousand" people have died in the unrest.
In a televised address on Saturday (January 17), Khamenei blamed the casualties on "foot soldiers" of the United States and alleged that rioters used imported weaponry to attack public institutions.
"We consider the U.S. president a criminal for the casualties, damages, and slander he has inflicted on the Iranian nation," Khamenei stated, accusing Washington of seeking to dominate Iran’s resources.
The Supreme Leader's rhetoric comes just a day after President Trump adopted a surprisingly conciliatory tone. Trump claimed he had been informed that Iran "canceled the hanging of over 800 people," adding that he "greatly respected" the decision.
White House officials suggested this move signaled a temporary retreat from previous threats of military intervention. However, Tehran’s Prosecutor General, Ali Salehi, dismissed Trump’s claims of canceled executions as "futile and irrelevant," maintaining that the judiciary’s stance remains "severe and fast."
While state officials blame external "sedition," international rights groups paint a grimmer picture of the crackdown that began on December 28 over economic grievances.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has verified 3,090 deaths, making this the deadliest unrest in Iran since the 1979 Revolution. After a total blackout that began on January 8, limited text messaging and domestic internet services were briefly restored on Saturday. Connectivity remains at just 2% of normal levels.
Major cities like Tehran reported an "uneasy calm" on Saturday. A call for renewed protests by the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi appeared to go largely unheeded by Saturday afternoon.
