Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed anti-government demonstrators as “troublemakers” attempting “to please the president of the US”, as nationwide unrest continues to grip the country.
Tehran has also written to the United Nations Security Council, accusing Washington of fuelling what it described as “violent subversive acts and widespread vandalism” linked to the protests. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said Iran was “in big trouble”.
Now in their 13th day, the protests were initially sparked by economic grievances but have since evolved into the most significant unrest Iran has seen in years, with some demonstrators calling for an end to the Islamic Republic and others demanding the return of the monarchy.
Iran Protests Escalate as Death Toll Rises and Internet Blackout Continues
Human rights groups say at least 48 protesters and 14 members of the security forces have been killed since the demonstrations began. An internet blackout remains in place, severely restricting the flow of information from inside the country.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump warned Tehran: “We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” adding that the US administration was monitoring developments closely. He stressed that any American involvement would not mean “boots on the ground.”
“It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” he said. The comments echoed remarks made a day earlier, when Trump said he would “hit them very hard” if Iranian authorities “start killing people”.
Khamenei Defiant as Iran Accuses US of Interference at the UN
In a televised address on Friday, Khamenei struck a defiant tone, insisting the state would not yield to pressure.
“Let everyone know that the Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of several hundred thousand honourable people and it will not back down in the face of those who deny this,” the 86-year-old said.
Later, speaking to supporters in comments broadcast on state television, he reiterated that Iran “will not shirk from dealing with destructive elements.”
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations accused the US of “interfering in Iran’s internal affairs through threats, incitement, and the deliberate encouragement of instability and violence,” in a letter addressed to the Security Council.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), more than 2,277 people have been arrested since protests erupted on 28 December. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said at least 51 protesters, including nine children, had been killed.
BBC Persian also claimed to have confirmed the identities of 22 victims after speaking to their families. Meanwhile, the BBC and most other international news organisations are barred from reporting inside Iran, SurgeZirc UK have learned.
Global Reaction Grows as Iran Issues ‘No Leniency’ Warnings
In a joint statement, the leaders of the UK, Germany and France said they were “deeply concerned about reports of violence by Iranian security forces, and strongly condemn the killing of protesters.”
“The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation was alarmed by the loss of life. “People anywhere in the world have a right to demonstrate peacefully, and governments have a responsibility to protect that right and to ensure that that right is respected,” he said.
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Inside Iran, security and judicial bodies have hardened their rhetoric. The National Security Council warned that “decisive and necessary legal action will be taken” against what it labelled “armed vandals” and “disruptors of peace and security”, cautioning against “any form of attack on military, law-enforcement, or governmental facilities”.
The intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would not tolerate what it called “terrorist acts”, vowing to continue operations “until the complete defeat of the enemy’s plan”.
Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, urged Trump to “be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran”. Pahlavi, who lives near Washington DC, had encouraged protesters to demonstrate on Thursday and Friday.
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