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Deaths up, no internet, Khamenei says Trump's hands blood-stained: Iran protests
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei targeted US President Donald Trump, calling him “arrogant”, and said his hands were “stained with the blood of” Iranians.
Iran continued to reel under a communication blockade on Friday amid the ongoing anti-government protests across the country that flared up on Thursday after exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi's rallying cry. At least 62 people have been killed since the protests began last month, the Associated Press reported quoting activists.
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Rocked by anti-government protests, Iran's state media on Friday accused “terrorist agents” of the US and Israel for sparking violence, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slamming US President Donald Trump, calling him “arrogant”, and alleging that his hands were “stained with the blood of” Iranians.
The protests in Iran that began from two markets in Tehran on December 28, 2025 over rising inflation and falling Rial value have turned into a nationwide agitation amid rising resentment against the clerical government led by Khamenei.
Here are the latest updates from Iran's protests:
Death toll rises
While Iran's state media has remained tight-lipped on the death toll in the ongoing uprising, it broke the silence on Friday and said there were “casualties,” without elaborating further.
The death toll has been rising since the agitation started last month, with activists cited by AP saying that at least 62 people have been killed.
US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that over 65 people have been killed in the nationwide protests in Iran that entered day 13 on January 9 and at least 2,311 people have been detained. Protests have spread to 512 locations across 180 cities in 31 provinces across Iran, as per the report.
Internet shut, flights cancelled
As protests raged, internet remained curtailed on Friday as well restricting the flow of information out of Iran. The country's ministry of information and communications technology said the decision to shut down the internet was made "by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances of the country."
At least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were cancelled, Dubai Airport's website showed. Turkish Airlines also cancelled several flights over Iran amid the ongoing agitation there.
Khamenei warns of crackdown on protesters
On Friday, Iran's Khamenei addressed the public and targeted United States President Donald Trump, calling him “arrogant”, and alleging that his hands were “stained with the blood of” Iranians. Khamenei further claimed that the US President would be “overthrown”, asking him to focus on the problems in his own country.
He also signalled that security forces would crack down on protesters, directly challenging Trump's pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating.
Khamenei dismissed Trump as having hands "stained with the blood of Iranians" as supporters shouted "Death to America!" in footage aired by Iranian state television.
Protesters are "ruining their own streets ... in order to please the president of the United States," the 86-year-old Khamenei said to a crowd at his compound in Tehran. “Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the state of his own country instead.”
Khamenei also shared series of posts on X as he took potshots at US President, slamming him for actions over Venezuela which he alleged was being done ‘for oil’. Khamenei also said that over a thousand Iranians were killed during the 12-day war in June on orders of Trump.
“In the 12-Day War, more than a thousand of our country’s citizens were martyred. The US President said he ordered this. So, he confessed that the Iranians’ blood was on his hands. Now he’s saying that he’s on the side of the Iranian nation!” Khamenei said in another post.
Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.”
Reza Pahlavi's urgent message for Trump
The exiled crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, on Friday appealed Trump to intervene urgently as protesters gathered in the Islamic republic. "Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support and action," Reza Pahlavi said in a social media post. “Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran.”
Pahlavi has been actively posting messages on social media, asking people to rise against the clerical regime under Khamenei's leadership. People took to streets in massive numbers on Thursday and Friday following his call. Amid the anti-government chants, protesters could also be heard chanting in support of Pahlavi and his return to Iran. Pahlavi's father was the last monarch ruler of Iran and left the country month's before the throne was toppled in Islamic Revolution of 1979.
With inputs from agencies
