Iran’s supreme leader acknowledges thousands killed as Trump calls for new leadership: reports

Iran’s ultimate person has publically acknowledged for the archetypal clip that thousands of radical were killed during caller anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC, arsenic President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and called for caller enactment successful Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks during a nationalist code Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and unit and saying immoderate protesters died "in an inhuman, savage manner," the BBC reported.

The protests, which began successful precocious December implicit economical conditions, aboriginal expanded into calls for an extremity to Iran’s ruling system. 

U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that much than 3,000 radical were killed implicit astir 3 weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities person not released an authoritative decease toll.

According to the BBC, nationwide net shutdowns person made autarkic verification difficult, with connectivity dropping to astir 2% of mean levels, citing information from cyber monitoring radical NetBlocks.

A 'TEAR DOWN THE WALL' MOMENT IN IRAN WILL DAMAGE BOTH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC — AND CHINA

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly acknowledged Saturday that thousands of radical were killed during caller anti-government protests. ( Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify amusement Iranian information forces firing connected demonstrators during the unrest.

Trump told Politico connected Saturday that "it’s clip to look for caller enactment successful Iran," aft being work a bid of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X relationship accusing the president of work for the violence.

"What helium is blameworthy of, arsenic the person of a country, is the implicit demolition of the state and the usage of unit astatine levels ne'er seen before," Trump said, according to Politico. "Leadership is astir respect, not fearfulness and death."

TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO 'CUT OFF' TRUMP'S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES

President Donald Trump has said successful caller days helium was looking astatine "very beardown options" including imaginable subject engagement successful Iran. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Trump went further successful idiosyncratic terms, telling Politico, "The antheral is simply a sick antheral who should tally his state decently and halt sidesplitting people."

"His state is the worst spot to unrecorded anyplace successful the satellite due to the fact that of mediocre leadership," Trump added.

Trump has antecedently urged Iranians to proceed protesting and "take implicit institutions," saying that "help is connected its way," according to Politico. The president aboriginal said helium had been informed that the killings had stopped.

"The champion determination helium ever made was not hanging much than 800 radical 2 days ago," Trump told Politico, erstwhile asked astir the scope of imaginable U.S. subject action.

Demonstrators pain a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally successful enactment of anti-government protests successful Iran, successful Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.  (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

In a bid of posts connected X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of work for the violence, writing, "We find the US President blameworthy owed to the casualties, damages and slander helium inflicted upon the Iranian nation."

In different post, Khamenei claimed that "America's extremity is to devour Iran."

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Trump has said successful caller days helium was looking astatine "very beardown options" including imaginable subject involvement.

The State Department did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.