Archive photo. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly recognized for the first time the death of thousands of people during the recent protests
“We consider the President of the United States a criminal who is responsible for the victims, the damage, and the slander against the Iranian people,” state media quoted him as saying.
Previously, Donald Trump urged Iranian protesters to “continue their actions” and warned Tehran of the possibility of military intervention if the authorities began to crack down on the demonstrators.
According to Iranian human rights activists operating in the U.S., the number of deaths resulting from the harsh suppression of protests has reached 3,090.
Currently, protests have been registered in 585 locations across the country, covering 186 cities (31 provinces), and the number of detainees has exceeded tens of thousands.
The Iranian air defense is on high alert.
It should be noted that the internet has been down in Iran for over a week, and mobile communication has been disabled. Mass protests, which began in late December 2025, were triggered by an economic crisis and the devaluation of the local currency.
