The country’s supreme leader said the foreign-backed protests had “caused significant damage and left thousands of people dead.”
Published January 17, 2026
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has described US President Donald Trump as a “criminal” and accused the US and Israel of direct involvement in the violence that has accompanied weeks of protests across the country.
“The recent anti-Iranian uprisings are different in that the president of the United States was personally involved,” Iranian state media quoted Khamenei as saying on Saturday.
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He said foreign-linked actors were responsible for widespread bloodshed and destruction. “Thousands of people associated with Israel and the United States have caused significant damage and thousands of people have died,” he said, amid protests that have rocked Iran for more than two weeks.
Iranian authorities have increasingly blamed foreign powers for the unrest, accusing longtime geopolitical rivals, mainly Israel and the United States, of fomenting instability and directing operations on the ground.
Khamenei said Iran would avoid escalation beyond its borders, but warned that those responsible in Iran would face consequences. “We do not intend to drag the country into war, but we do not intend to let criminals, both domestic and foreign, go unpunished.”
The remarks underscored a hardening of the Iranian government’s stance as protests linked to economic hardship and political discontent continue to reverberate across the country.
