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By Mandy Taheri
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday branded President Donald Trump a “criminal” for publicly backing the protests sweeping Iran, accusing the United States of fueling violence and saying U.S. agents have “murdered several thousand people,” according to a state broadcast and his social media posts.
Activists and human rights groups have reported a death toll in the roughly three-week-old unrest to also be in the several thousands, largely due to the Iranian government violently cracking down on protestors. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has put the death toll at about 3,095 people, including protesters and government-affiliated individuals, as well as thousands of arrests.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House and State Department for comment via email on Saturday.
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Why It Matters
Khamenei’s comments come the day after Trump praised the Iranian government’s decision to reportedly cancel the “hanging of over 800 people.” Those remarks came after several days of Trump issuing warnings that the U.S. may militarily strike Iran if the country kills demonstrators amid widespread anti‑government protests.
Unrest in Iran flared again at the end of December, but unlike other recent protests in the country, the latest demonstrations were sparked by merchants angered by economic turmoil. The rial has tumbled, inflation has surged, and the cost-of-living has gone out of reach for many, prompting thousands of people across regions and economic classes to take to the streets across the country.
Iran’s government shut down the internet and cut phone lines earlier this month, a tactic they have used before over the years, increasing fears of violence against protestors. The Associated Press reported that some Iranians have said cellphone text messaging started up again recently, as well as some limited internet service.
The government’s acknowledgement of the mass number of deaths is notable for a regime that typically underplays protests, arrests, and deaths.
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What To Know
Khamenei said in a Saturday speech broadcast on state television that “the U.S. president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead,” in reference to protestors, according to the AP.
He then explained that the Iranian government considers Trump to be a “criminal,” due to the “casualties and damages, [and] because of accusations against the Iranian nation.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader echoed similar sentiment on his X account on Saturday, writing, “The recent sedition was orchestrated by the US. The US did the planning and took action. The US’s goal is to devour Iran.” Many protestors and Iranians in the diaspora have emphasized that change in Iran needs to occur from within, and led by Iranians, while a smaller percentage have been vocal with the hopes of U.S. intervention, and the return of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been living in exile in the U.S. for over four decades.
In a separate post, Khamenei added that “agents of the US and the Zionist regime committed heinous crimes in this sedition. They vandalized 250 mosques and over 250 educational & scientific centers. They damaged the power grid, banks, and healthcare facilities. They murdered several thousand people.”
Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of U.S. military action against Iran and has posted frequently about the unrest there on his social media accounts. However, this week he has shifted his tone a bit, taking a step back from imminent military action, telling reporters on Friday the decision was his alone. “Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself,” he said, adding that Iran’s apparent move to call off planned executions “had a big impact.”
Iranian authorities have repeatedly placed blame on the U.S. and Israel for stoking unrest in the country. Earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning "the meddlesome and deceptive remarks of the US officials regarding Iran’s internal developments, describing them as a clear indication of the continuation of Washington's hostility toward the great nation of Iran."
At the same time, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Iran’s prosecutor general, warned that demonstrators would be considered an “enemy of God” (mohareb), a death-penalty charge, according to the AP.
What People Are Saying
Iran’s Foreign Ministry wrote in a Saturday statement, in part: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of #Iran strongly condemns the interventionist statement of the #G7 countries regarding Iran’s internal affairs and considers it as a clear evidence of the fraudulent approach of the member countries of this group with the leadership of the #UnitedStates on the issue of human rights. The G7 countries, under the influence of the US and the Zionist regime, are consciously ignoring the obvious fact that the peaceful gatherings of the Iranian people were turned into violence by the organized move of terrorist agents equipped by the Zionist regime during the days of 8-10 January 2026, during which a large number of protesters and law enforcement and security forces were attacked، injured or lost their life.”
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent wrote in a Thursday press release: “The United States stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice. At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people. Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights.”
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai wrote in a January 12 X post: “The protests in Iran cannot be separated from the long-standing, state-imposed restrictions on girls’ and women’s autonomy, in all aspects of public life including education. Iranian girls, like girls everywhere, demand a life with dignity…They demand their voices be heard and the right to determine their political future. That future must be driven by the Iranian people, and include the leadership of Iranian women and girls — not external forces or oppressive regimes. I stand with the people and girls of Iran in their call for freedom and dignity. They deserve to determine their own future.”
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on January 13: " Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!”
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Volker Türk wrote in a January 9 statement: "I am deeply disturbed by reports of violence during nationwide protests in Iran over the past 13 days, including reported deaths and destruction of property. The right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in international law, must be protected. All deaths should be promptly, independently, and transparently investigated. Those responsible for any violations must be held to account in line with international norms and standards."
What Happens Next
Earlier this week, the U.S. levied additional sanctions on Iranian leaders and the “shadow banking networks that allow Iran’s elite to steal and launder revenue generated by the country’s natural resources.”
Iran has also seen some government-backed rallies as well as mourners carrying Iranian flags and posts of Khamenei at funerals of military members. But anti-government protests are much larger and widespread, both in across the country and in solidarity demonstrations among Iranians abroad.
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