Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused US President Donald Trump of “seditious” and “criminal” acts as the death toll in the protest-hit country crossed 12,000, Iran International reported.
In his speech on Saturday, Khamenei blamed the US for the casualties, damage and slander against Iran, accusing Trump of having encouraged such actions as protests engulfed the country amid an ongoing economic crisis and rising discontent with the Islamic regime.
“The Iranian nation, just as it broke the back of the riot, must also break the back of those who instigated it,” Khamenei said, adding that Iran wouldn’t hesitate to pursue domestic and international criminals behind the unrest.
‘Trump personally intervened in the protests’
Khamenei claimed that Trump had personally intervened and emboldened demonstrators in Iran by pledging military backing, according to Iran International.
“In the numerous seditions in Iran in the past, it was usually the press & second-tier US or European politicians who were interfering. The unique feature of this sedition was that the US President himself interfered in this sedition & encouraged the seditionists,” Khamenei wrote on X.
Many killings carried out during internet blackout
Most of the killings, reported to be the largest massacre in Iran’s contemporary history, was carried out on January 8 and 9 during an ongoing internet shutdown, according to senior government and security sources speaking to Iran International.
The killing was reportedly carried out on the direct order of Khamenei, with the explicit knowledge and approval of the heads of all three branches of government, and with an order for live fire issued by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran International has learned.
What is the current situation in Iran?
Khamenei’s remarks came as Iran returned to an uneasy calm following weeks of demonstrations. The protests have largely subsided after a sweeping crackdown, with no major unrest reported in Tehran for several days, though internet restrictions remain in place.
US President Donald Trump considered military strikes earlier this week amid reports of Iran’s earlier planned executions but decided against them, opting to monitor the situation.
The US withdrew some personnel from Middle East bases after Iran threatened retaliation against US bases if attacked.
As per latest reports, the Pentagon is moving a carrier strike group — a naval formation consisting an aircraft carrier, with a variety of other vessels, including at least one attack submarine — from the South China Sea to West Asia.