Jan 17, 2026, 12:57 p.mJan 17, 2026, 12:57 p.m
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blames US President Donald Trump for the nationwide mass protests. Addressing supporters in Tehran, the Ayatollah said Trump had personally intervened in the unrest and encouraged the “insurgents” to carry on and not be afraid.
Ali Khamenei.Image: sda
Iran considers the President of the United States guilty, both “for the victims, for the damage caused and for the slander inflicted on the Iranian people,” Khamenei said, according to a translation by the state broadcasting agency Iribnews. America must be held responsible for this.
The protests at the end of December were triggered by a dramatic economic crisis and very high inflation. However, the demonstrations quickly developed into political protests against the authoritarian system of rule of the Islamic Republic. Security forces used violence. Iranian human rights groups reported more than 3,400 deaths. Exact figures are difficult to verify because of the information blackout. (sda/dpa)