Iran’s Supreme Leader Acknowledges Deaths Amid Protests

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has acknowledged that thousands of people have died in the ongoing protests. In a public statement released on Saturday, he admitted that while thousands were killed, some deaths occurred in an inhumane manner.

Iranian state media quoted Khamenei saying, “Those linked with Israel and America caused significant damage and killed thousands. We hold the U.S. President responsible for these deaths. He has imposed harm and humiliation on Iran.” The Iranian government has previously accused foreign powers of supporting the unrest.

In his address, Khamenei blamed the United States for the recent instability, echoing earlier statements on social media claiming, “America’s goal is to crush Iran.” The protests, which began on December 28, have resulted in an unclear death toll, with different sources reporting varying numbers.

According to the British media outlet The Times, which cited Tehran hospital staff, at least 12,000 people have died. Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Iranian human rights agency HRANA confirmed 3,090 deaths but noted that internet restrictions have made it difficult to obtain accurate information.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had encouraged Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations and warned that the United States could intervene militarily if the government suppressed the movement.

This acknowledgment by Khamenei marks a rare admission of the scale of the crackdown and underscores the ongoing tensions between Iran and foreign powers.