In an unprecedented public statement, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has formally acknowledged that “several thousand” people lost their lives during recent nationwide protests, marking the first official recognition of the substantial death toll from the unrest. The comments, delivered on Saturday, represent a significant departure from previous government statements regarding the scale of the casualties.
Khamenei directly attributed responsibility for the violence to United States President Donald Trump, asserting that Washington bore culpability for the widespread casualties, destruction, and social turmoil experienced across Iran. “We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei declared through state media channels, emphasizing that the latest anti-government demonstrations differed from previous incidents due to Trump’s personal involvement.
The protests initially erupted on December 28th, primarily driven by economic grievances, but rapidly evolved into the most severe civil unrest witnessed in Iran in recent years. Khamenei further accused Iran’s longstanding adversaries, the United States and Israel, of orchestrating the violence, claiming that “those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand” through arson attacks, destruction of public property, and deliberate efforts to incite chaos.
Despite Trump’s repeated warnings against using capital punishment against protesters—including threats of “very strong action” if executions proceeded—and his Friday social media claim that Iranian authorities had halted mass hangings, Tehran promptly rejected this assertion, stating there was “no plan to hang people.”
In remarks widely interpreted as a response to Washington, Khamenei asserted Iran would not be provoked into armed conflict while vowing that “we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished.”
Independent verification of casualties remains challenging due to extensive internet restrictions. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has documented at least 3,090 verified deaths, including 2,885 protesters, alongside more than 22,000 arrests since the unrest began. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported connectivity had slightly improved after exceeding 200 hours of near-total shutdown but remained at approximately two percent of normal levels.
Iranian state media has reported the arrest of thousands described as “rioters and terrorists,” including individuals allegedly connected to foreign-based opposition groups seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have publicly expressed support for exiled opposition figures, with Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu recently claiming Israel maintained operatives “on the ground” in Iran aimed at weakening Tehran’s capabilities, though denying direct involvement in attempts to topple the leadership.