{"id":81665,"date":"2026-01-17T20:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/irans-supreme-leader-acknowledges-thousands-killed-during-recent-protests\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T20:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T20:14:00","slug":"irans-supreme-leader-acknowledges-thousands-killed-during-recent-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=81665","title":{"rendered":"Iran’s supreme leader acknowledges thousands killed during recent protests"},"content":{"rendered":"


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<\/p>\n

Jack Burgess<\/span>and<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghoncheh Habibiazad,<\/span>BBC Persian<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"IranianIranian leader press office via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Iran’s supreme leader has for the first time publicly acknowledged that thousands of people were killed during recent protests.<\/p>\n

In a speech on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said thousands had been killed, “some in an inhuman, savage manner”, and blamed the US for the deaths.<\/p>\n

A violent response to the unrest has claimed 3,090 lives, according to US-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), with some activist groups putting the death toll far higher. An internet blackout has made it extremely difficult to get clear information.<\/p>\n

US President <\/b>Donald Trump recently urged Iranian demonstrators to “keep protesting” and threatened military intervention if security forces kill them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand,” Khamenei said, quoted by Iranian state media.<\/p>\n

“We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation.”<\/p>\n

The protests, which began on 28 December over the economy, have turned into calls for the end of the rule of Iran’s supreme leader.<\/p>\n

The Iranian government has called the demonstrations “riots” backed by Iran’s enemies.<\/p>\n

Protesters have been met with deadly force and videos of security forces shooting at demonstrations have been authenticated by both BBC Persian and BBC Verify.<\/p>\n

There has also been a near-total shutdown of the internet and communication services in Iran. On Saturday overall connectivity remained at about 2% of ordinary levels, according to cyber monitor NetBlocks.<\/p>\n

There have been fewer reports of unrest in recent days but with internet access still restricted developments on the ground remain unclear. <\/p>\n

A woman in Shiraz, south-western Iran, told BBC Persian that “security forces are still patrolling on motorbikes to keep the situation under control, but overall things have gone back to normal”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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During his speech on Saturday, Khamenei also said Iran considered President Trump to be a “criminal” and said the US must be “held accountable” for recent unrest.<\/p>\n

He also claimed on social media that “America’s goal is to swallow Iran”. <\/p>\n

Trump has not yet responded to the supreme leader and the BBC has approached the White House for a comment.<\/p>\n

The US state department said on Saturday that it had “heard reports that the Islamic Republic is preparing options to target American bases”.<\/p>\n

It said Iran would be met with “a very, very powerful force” if it launched such an attack and warned Tehran not to “play games with President Trump”.<\/p>\n

The US president said on Wednesday he had been told “the killing in Iran has stopped”, but added that he had not ruled out military action against the country.<\/p>\n

His comments came after the US and UK both reduced the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar.<\/p>\n

Officials told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that a partial American withdrawal was a “precautionary measure”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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