Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, on Saturday, held US President Donald Trump responsible for inflicting casualties, damage, and slander on Iranians during the protests, and described him as a ‘criminal’ as death toll in the nation crossed 3000, as per records by a rights group.
Khamenei further warned that although his government does not intent to push the nation towards war, but “will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished.” He claimed ‘those linked to Israel and US caused massive damages and killed several thousands’ in protests.
Iran protests
Iran has been roiled by anti-government protests calling for the ouster of Ayatollah Khameni-led government — during which over 3,000 people were killed, activists said on Saturday. Meanwhile, some reports claimed that the protest-hit country saw a "very slight rise" in internet activity after an eight-day blackout.
"The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the US President personally became involved," Iranian media quoted Khamenei as saying, reported Reuters.
When US warned of ‘action’ amid Iran protests
Earlier, US had threatened ‘military action’ if Iran used force against its protesters. On Tuesday, Donald Trump announced that he cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials in response to the ongoing crackdown on protests in the country, claiming that ‘help is on the way’
On Saturday, blood stains remained in Tehran streets after a person dressed in a full chador covering shot at a large crowd that had gathered in the north of the capital on January 10, reported AFP.
"I heard this pop pop... and I saw with my eyes three people collapsed at the same time," said 44-year-old Kiarash, who spoke to AFP by phone from Germany where he lives, after witnessing violent suppression of protests while visiting his native Iran.
Internet shutdown in Iran
The massive protests took place in Iran during a record long internet blackout for Iran’s population of about 92 million people. Earlier, local media reported that internet connectivity had been partially restored, even as most residents appeared to remain largely cut off from the outside world for the ninth consecutive day, reported AFP.
Users in Iran appeared largely offline as of early Saturday afternoon local time, with few signs of activity evident on platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and X — services they previously accessed via virtual private networks(VPNs).
