According to the human rights organization HRANA, 3,090 people were killed as a result of the brutal suppression of unrest in Iran, writes the BBC. However, Iran International reported on January 13 at least 12 thousand dead, most of whom were killed within two days.
Blocking the Internet makes it much more difficult to obtain truthful information, media say.
According to the BBC, during his speech Khamenei blamed the United States for the killings. “Those associated with Israel and the US have caused enormous damage and killed several thousand,” he said.
Khamenei also said Iran considers President Trump a “criminal” and said Washington must answer for the unrest.
Context
Massive anti-government protests began in Iran on December 28, 2025 amid economic problems in the country. Khamenei called the protesters “rebels” and called for a crackdown on the demonstrations. Clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officers, which, as Reuters wrote, became the bloodiest in the last three years.
Trump said the United States is ready to come to the aid of Iran. On January 13, the President of the United States wrote a post in which he supported protesters in Iran, calling them “Iranian patriots.” Trump urged them to “continue to protest and take over their institutions.”
The WSJ reported on January 15 that anti-government protests have declined sharply in Iran due to authorities' brutal treatment of protesters. British politician Bill Esterson said on January 16 that Iranian authorities may have used “toxic chemicals” to suppress demonstrations in the country.
According to The Washington Post, Trump has not officially ordered strikes on Iran, even though his top security advisers expected him to immediately authorize one of the military options presented to him.
