In a striking move, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has pointed fingers at U.S. President Donald Trump, claiming that his rhetoric has stoked the flames of unrest in Iran, leading to weeks of protests that have reportedly resulted in thousands of fatalities.
The unrest began on December 28, initially fueled by economic struggles, but quickly escalated into widespread calls for an end to the clerical regime governing the Islamic Republic. Trump's repeated threats of intervention—promising to take "very strong action" if Iran proceeded with the execution of protesters—have only heightened tensions. However, in a recent social media statement, he expressed gratitude towards Iranian officials for allegedly halting mass executions, asserting that there was no current plan to carry out such actions.
Responding to Trump's comments, Khamenei stated, "We will not drag the country into war, but we will ensure that domestic and international criminals face consequences," according to reports from state media.
As protests continued, Iran's clerical leadership attributed the violent outbreaks to armed individuals masquerading as demonstrators, referring to them as "terrorists" and alleging that both Israel and the United States orchestrated these events, contributing to numerous deaths among both protesters and security forces.
Khamenei declared, "We hold the U.S. president responsible for the casualties and the damage inflicted upon the Iranian nation," adding that external forces linked to Israel and America caused extensive harm, igniting fires, vandalizing public property, and promoting disorder. He characterized these acts as serious crimes and grave slander against Iran.
Meanwhile, the situation surrounding internet access has been precarious. Reports indicate that service has partially been restored following a period of significant disruption. On Saturday, the semi-official Mehr News Agency announced that internet services had resumed for some users, and the ISNA news site confirmed that SMS functionality had also returned. According to NetBlocks, an online monitoring organization, there was a slight increase in internet connectivity in Iran after more than 200 hours of complete shutdown, although it remained around just 2% of normal levels.
A resident from Karaj, an area that witnessed intense violence during the protests, reported that internet access resumed early Saturday morning. This individual noted that Thursday marked the height of the turmoil in their region.
Additionally, some Iranians living abroad shared on social media that they were able to communicate with people in Iran shortly after internet services were restored.
Iranian state media, aligned with the government, revealed that several alleged leaders of the disturbances had been apprehended, including a woman named Nazanin Baradaran, who, under the alias Raha Parham, was reportedly involved in organizing protests on behalf of Reza Pahlavi—the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch. These claims remain unverified, and her identity is still unconfirmed. Pahlavi, a long-time opposition figure, has signaled his potential role as a leader should the regime collapse, expressing intentions to re-establish diplomatic relations between Iran and Israel if he assumes power. Israeli officials have publicly supported him, with Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu disclosing that Israel has operatives in Iran, aiming to diminish its capabilities, although he denied any direct involvement in efforts to overthrow the current regime.
In the northeastern city of Mashhad, media reports stated that 22 alleged ringleaders had been detained, alongside over ten individuals suspected of murder and 50 accused of arson. In Gilan province, officials confirmed the arrest of 50 alleged leaders, bringing the total number of arrests to over 1,500. State television also reported the capture of two men affiliated with the Mujahedeen Khalq, an exiled opposition group advocating for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
