Iran protests intensify as death toll rises and Khamenei targets Trump

Anti-government protests across Iran have left over 65 people dead, according to rights groups, as demonstrations spread nationwide. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the US and Israel for the unrest, while exiled prince Reza Pahlavi urged international intervention.

Tehran: Anti-government protests continue to flare up across Iran, leaving several protesters dead and triggering a communication blockade in parts of the country, as unrest shows no signs of abating.

According to multiple media reports, at least 62 people have been killed since the demonstrations began in December last year.

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As Iran remains gripped by widespread protests, state media on Friday accused “terrorist agents” linked to the United States and Israel of fuelling the violence.

The protests, which initially erupted on December 28, 2025, from two markets in Tehran over rising inflation and the steep fall in the value of the rial, have since transformed into a nationwide agitation.

The demonstrations reflect growing anger against the clerical establishment led by Khamenei, amid economic distress and public resentment.

While Iranian state media had largely avoided commenting on the number of deaths linked to the uprising, it broke its silence on Friday, acknowledging that there had been “casualties”, without providing further details.

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that more than 65 people have been killed in the protests, which entered their 13th day on January 9, and that at least 2,311 individuals have been detained.

According to the report, demonstrations have spread to 512 locations across 180 cities in all 31 provinces of Iran.

Addressing the nation on Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly targeted President Trump, branding him “arrogant” and accusing him of having hands “stained with the blood of” Iranians.

He claimed that the US President would be “overthrown” and urged him to focus on domestic issues in his own country instead.

Khamenei also signalled a tougher approach by security forces against protesters, openly challenging Trump’s pledge to support those engaged in peaceful demonstrations.

Dismissing Trump’s stance, Khamenei said the US President’s hands were “stained with the blood of Iranians”, as crowds were heard chanting “Death to America!” in footage broadcast by Iranian state television.

“Protesters are ruining their own streets … in order to please the president of the United States,” the 86-year-old leader said while addressing supporters at his compound in Tehran.

“Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead.”

Khamenei also posted a series of messages on X, taking aim at Trump and criticising his actions abroad, including in Venezuela, which he claimed were driven by oil interests.

He further alleged that more than a thousand Iranians were killed during a 12-day war in June on Trump’s orders.

“In the 12-Day War, more than a thousand of our country’s citizens were martyred. The US President said he ordered this. So, he confessed that the Iranians’ blood was on his hands. Now he’s saying that he’s on the side of the Iranian nation!” Khamenei wrote in another post.

Meanwhile, Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday appealed to Trump for urgent intervention as protests continued across the Islamic Republic.

“Mr President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support and action,” Pahlavi said in a social media post. “Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran.”

Pahlavi has been actively using social media to urge Iranians to rise against the clerical regime under Khamenei.

Large numbers of people took to the streets on Thursday and Friday following his appeal.

Amid anti-government chants, protesters were also heard voicing support for Pahlavi and calling for his return to Iran.

Pahlavi’s father was the last monarch of the country and fled Iran months before the throne was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution of 1979.