Iran’s supreme leader admits thousands were killed in protests supported by ‘criminal’ Trump
- - Iran’s supreme leader admits thousands were killed in protests supported by ‘criminal’ Trump
Hira Humayun, CNNJanuary 18, 2026 at 12:59 AM
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Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Saturday. - Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/Wana News Agency/Reuters
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged Saturday that thousands of Iranians were killed during more than two weeks of unrest in the country — deaths he blamed on US President Donald Trump, who he said “openly encouraged” the protesters by promising them US “military support.”
In a speech to the nation that was described on his website, Khamenei called Trump a “criminal” responsible “both for the casualties and the damage” during the anti-government protests that broke out in late December, initially sparked by public anger over dire economic conditions.
Khamenei, 86, made no mention of the brutal tactics of Iran’s security forces in quelling the protests. Witnesses and human rights groups have described government forces opening fire on protesters in the streets and from rooftops. More than 3,000 people have been killed in the unrest, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). CNN cannot independently verify this figure.
In his televised address Saturday, Khamenei said the “rioters” involved in the unrest fell under two categories: people supported, funded and trained by the US and Israel, and young people influenced by them. The latter, he said, were “naive individuals whom the ringleaders manipulated.” He said those young people damaged power industry facilities, mosques, educational institutes, banks, medical facilities and grocery stores.
The Iranian government has often blamed “foreign” agents for the deadly protests in the country, without providing evidence.
“By harming the people, they (the ‘rioters’) killed several thousand of them,” Khamenei said.
“Some were killed with a force that was inhuman … completely savagely,” the Iranian leader continued. “These actions were part of the sedition’s pre-prepared blueprint.”
Earlier in the week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back against the reported death toll of “thousands,” telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that the number was actually in the hundreds and that suggestions otherwise were part of a “misinformation campaign.”
In his Saturday speech, Khamenei declared that “the US must be held accountable.”
During the unrest, Trump encouraged protesters to keep up the demonstrations and “take over” the country’s institutions, assuring them that “help is on its way.”
“We consider the US President a criminal, both for the casualties and damage, and for the slander he leveled against the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said, according to a translation of speech excerpts on his website.
‘A sick man’
Trump responded swiftly, calling for new leadership in Iran and referring to Khamenei as a “sick man” who should “run his country properly and stop killing people.”
President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters aboard Air Force One on January 11, en route back to the White House from Palm Beach, Florida. - Samuel Corum/Getty Images
In a Saturday morning interview with Politico, Trump said Khamenei is guilty, “as the leader of a country,” of “the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.”
“In order to keep the country functioning — even though that function is a very low level — the leadership should focus on running his country properly, like I do with the United States, and not killing people by the thousands in order to keep control,” Trump said.
The supreme leader recognized in his speech that Iran’s economic situation is “truly difficult” but called for people to unite “in defending the Islamic system and beloved Iran.” He called on government officials to redouble their efforts in supplying essential goods, livestock feed and other essential commodities.
Citing Monday’s pro-government rallies across Iran, Khamenei claimed Saturday that the protests have been “extinguished.”
State of the Internet
Amid the protests that were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, the Iranian government shut off internet connections on January 8. But on Saturday morning, there was a “slight rise” in connectivity, according to cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks.
“Overall connectivity remains at (about) 2% of ordinary levels and there is no indication of a significant return,” NetBlocks added in a statement on X.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported Saturday that the internet has been restored to “some subscribers,” saying the shutdown was enacted due to what it described as “terrorist unrest” and to “ensure the security of the country and its citizens.”
Some international landline calls and local text messages also appeared to be working again, a Tehran resident told CNN on Saturday. Internet connection itself remains patchy in the country, the resident said.
Fate of the protesters
In the Saturday address, Iran’s supreme leader vowed consequences for those who took part in the “riots” but did not elaborate on what their punishments would be.
“We will not lead the country into war, but we will not let go of the domestic criminals and — more importantly — the international criminals,” he said. “This matter must be pursued using our own methods and the correct approach.”
More than 24,000 protesters have been arrested, according to HRANA. CNN cannot independently verify that figure.
But fears mounted for the fate of some protesters after Tehran’s prosecutor said last week that some of them could face the death penalty for their actions, according to semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran on January 9. - MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier in the week, the State Department said Iranian authorities planned to execute one protester, Erfan Soltani. His family later said his execution was postponed, and Trump said he had received assurances that there was no plan for executions in Iran. Iran’s judiciary, though, said Soltani had not been sentenced to death.
In his interview with Fox News, Iran’s foreign minister also indicated that there were no plans to hang protesters.
“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump said of Khamenei on Saturday when asked by Politico about the potential for a US military operation in Iran.
In response to Trump’s comments, Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi neither confirmed nor denied an intention to execute that many people. “Our response is firm, deterrent and swift,” he told Iranian state media.
“At present, a large number of cases have resulted in indictments and have been referred to the courts,” he said.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Kareem El Damanhoury and Christian Sierra contributed to this report.
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