Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jan 18: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said authorities must “break the back of the seditionists”, blaming US President Donald Trump for casualties during the recent deadly crackdown on protests against the country’s clerical leadership.
Iran witnessed weeks of widespread demonstrations triggered by economic hardship, which escalated into the largest anti-government protests in more than three years. The unrest has largely subsided following a severe crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead amid an internet blackout that lasted for over a week.
Addressing supporters during a religious ceremony marking the Prophet Mohammed’s ascension to heaven, Khamenei said the Iranian nation would deal firmly with those behind the unrest. “By God’s grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition,” he said in a speech aired on state television.
He added that while Iran did not intend to take the country towards war, domestic offenders would not be spared. “We will not spare domestic criminals,” Khamenei said, adding that so-called “international criminals” were even worse and would also face punishment.
Iranian authorities have maintained that the protests, which they describe as “riots”, were under control, with state-aligned media reporting thousands of arrests and officials promising swift action against those detained. The government has repeatedly accused the United States of fuelling what it calls a “terrorist operation” that hijacked peaceful economic protests.
Lashing out at Trump, Khamenei accused the US president of being responsible for casualties and damage during the unrest. “This was an American conspiracy,” he said, alleging that Washington’s aim was to bring Iran back under military, political and economic domination.
Trump, who supported Israel during its 12-day conflict with Iran in June, has repeatedly warned of possible military action if Iranian authorities executed protesters, though Washington has recently appeared to step back from immediate intervention.
Concern continues to grow over the true scale of deaths during the crackdown, as verification remains difficult under tight internet restrictions. Monitoring group Netblocks said internet connectivity in Iran rose only slightly on Saturday, more than 200 hours into the nationwide shutdown. Rights organisations have warned that the blackout was aimed at concealing the extent of the violence.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights has verified the deaths of at least 3,428 protesters at the hands of security forces, cautioning that the real figure could be several times higher. Other estimates suggest the toll may exceed 5,000 and could be as high as 20,000.
Meanwhile, Iran International, an opposition channel based abroad, has claimed that at least 12,000 people were killed during the protests, citing senior government and security sources.