“Trump Is a Criminal” — Iran’s Leader Explodes Over Protests, Blames Demonstrators for Deaths

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has sharply escalated rhetoric against the United States and domestic dissent by publicly labeling U.S. President Donald Trump a “criminal” for what he says was interference in Iran’s internal affairs — particularly for backing widespread protests that have erupted across the country.

In a televised address on January 17, 2026, Khamenei accused Trump of encouraging and supporting anti-government demonstrators, saying that such support contributed to the chaos and “casualties and damages” suffered by the Iranian people. 

Khamenei went beyond typical diplomatic criticism, asserting that Trump’s actions went so far as to personally involve the U.S. in Iran’s unrest and labeling him a criminal responsible for the losses. He claimed that comments by Trump — including expressions of support for the protests and warnings to Tehran — emboldened what Iranian authorities have described as “seditionists.

The Supreme Leader also portrayed the protesters not as a grassroots movement but as “foot soldiers” of foreign powers, alleging that they carried out destructive acts including sabotage of mosques and schools. 

In the same speech, Khamenei acknowledged that the wave of protests — which began on December 28, 2025 over economic woes and spiraled into broader anti-government demonstrations — had left “several thousand” people dead. This is believed to be the first official recognition from Tehran of the scale of the human cost during the crackdown. 

ZANCEN YAU 247 learned that Independent human rights organizations have estimated that the total death toll could exceed 3,000, making this one of the deadliest periods of unrest in Iran in decades. 

 While he had previously urged Iranian protesters to continue their push for change and promised support, he more recently adopted a more conciliatory tone — at one point noting that Iran had allegedly called off executions of hundreds of detained demonstrators, a claim Tehran has denied or dismissed as inaccurate. 

Meanwhile, ZANCEN YAU 247 gathered that Iran’s government, has repeatedly denied external meddling, instead framing the protests as part of a foreign plot to destabilize the Islamic Republic — rhetoric intended to rally nationalistic sentiment and justify the ongoing crackdown. 

The protests began as ZANCEN YAU 247    found out, amid deepening economic hardship and growing public dissatisfaction with Iran’s political and economic system. The government’s response has included severe restrictions on internet access and an extensive security crackdown. 

Khamenei’s speech represents both a rare confirmation of the scale of the crisis and a stark warning that Tehran sees external powers, particularly the U.S., as behind the unrest. Whether this rhetoric signals a hardened policy toward dissent at home or an attempt to stave off international pressure remains to be seen — but for now, tensions between Iran and the U.S. are at a new high.