Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during the nationwide anti-government protests that began in late December 2025 and continued into January 2026. President Trump sharply criticized the regime’s handling of the unrest and called for new leadership in Iran, intensifying international pressure on Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s rare admission came in a public address in Tehran on January 17, 2026, as unrest previously triggered by economic grievances expanded into broad calls for political change. Khamenei described many of the deaths during the protests as occurring in an “inhuman, savage manner” and blamed foreign influence, notably the United States and Israel, for fomenting the unrest. Estimates from Iranian rights groups place the death toll at more than 3,000, though Iran’s government has not released its own official count. A nationwide internet shutdown during the protests hindered independent verification of casualty figures and events on the ground.
Security forces in Iran responded to the protests with force, including verified reports of live fire on demonstrators in multiple cities. Videos authenticated by international media outlets show security personnel firing into crowds, contributing to civilian deaths. Authorities also carried out mass arrests of protest participants, with tens of thousands reportedly detained amid the crackdown.
President Trump, in interviews with U.S. media following Khamenei’s remarks, denounced the Iranian leadership and called for new leadership in Iran. He said that Khamenei’s actions and handling of the crisis demonstrated the regime’s failure to govern responsibly and protect its own people. Trump framed the situation as evidence that Iran’s current leadership has lost legitimacy and should be replaced.
In his comments, Trump referenced hostile statements from Khamenei’s social media posts accusing the United States of instigating the protests and bearing responsibility for the violence. Trump rejected those accusations and reiterated his view that Iran’s clerical rulers bear full responsibility for the deaths and instability. His remarks followed earlier statements that Iran had halted executions linked to protester detentions, though some of those claims remain unverified.
The situation underscores heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with international scrutiny of Tehran’s human rights record increasing. Iran’s regime remains defiant, attributing the unrest to foreign plots and continuing to frame protesters and dissidents as criminals or foreign agents. Despite the official acknowledgment of the heavy death toll, Tehran’s leadership has not signaled any substantive political reforms in response to public demands for change.
