Iran supreme chief acknowledges hundreds killed in anti-government protests

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Iran’s supreme chief has publicly acknowledged for the primary time that hundreds of individuals have been killed throughout current anti-government protests, in response to reporting from the BBC , as President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and referred to as for brand spanking new management in Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks throughout a public tackle Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and violence and saying some protesters died "in an inhuman, savage method," the BBC reported.

The protests, which started in late December over financial circumstances, later expanded into requires an finish to Iran’s ruling system .

U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists Information Company estimates that greater than 3,000 individuals have been killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, although Iranian authorities haven't launched an official demise toll.

In response to the BBC, nationwide web shutdowns have made unbiased verification troublesome, with connectivity dropping to roughly 2% of regular ranges, citing information from cyber monitoring group NetBlocks.

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Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly acknowledged Saturday that hundreds of individuals have been killed throughout current anti-government protests. ( Workplace of the Supreme Chief of Iran by way of Getty Photographs)

Movies authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Confirm present Iranian safety forces firing on demonstrators throughout the unrest.

Trump advised Politico on Saturday that "it’s time to search for new management in Iran," after being learn a collection of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of accountability for the violence.

"What he's responsible of, because the chief of a rustic, is the entire destruction of the nation and using violence at ranges by no means seen earlier than," Trump stated, in response to Politico. "Management is about respect, not worry and demise."

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/672/378/trump-looks-southern-boulevard-dedication-ceremony-.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1344/756/trump-looks-southern-boulevard-dedication-ceremony-.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/931/523/trump-looks-southern-boulevard-dedication-ceremony-.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1862/1046/trump-looks-southern-boulevard-dedication-ceremony-.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> President Donald Trump has stated in current days he was taking a look at "very sturdy choices" together with doable navy involvement in Iran. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Picture)

Trump went additional in private phrases, telling Politico, "The person is a sick man who ought to run his nation correctly and cease killing individuals."

"His nation is the worst place to dwell anyplace on the earth due to poor management," Trump added.

Trump has beforehand urged Iranians to proceed protesting and "take over establishments," saying that "assistance is on its approach," in response to Politico. The president later stated he had been knowledgeable that the killings had stopped .

"The most effective resolution he ever made was not hanging greater than 800 individuals two days in the past," Trump advised Politico, when requested in regards to the scope of potential U.S. military action .

Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei throughout a rally in assist of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Picture/Ohad Zwigenberg)

In a collection of posts on X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of accountability for the violence, writing, "We discover the US President responsible because of the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation."