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Iran Protests Live: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Khamenei vows to 'break the back' of seditionists
The pause in unrest has not softened rhetoric from hardliners. A senior conservative cleric urged capital punishment for detained protesters and issued veiled threats against US President Donald Trump, reflecting continued fury within the establishment. Trump, however, adopted a more conciliatory tone, publicly crediting Iran’s leaders for refraining from mass executions — one of his stated red lines, along with the killing of peaceful demonstrators.
While protests inside Iran have quieted, anger has spilled abroad, with large demonstrations by Iranian exiles across Europe. Some Iranians have reportedly crossed into neighboring countries, including Turkey, to bypass the communications blackout and contact the outside world.
A US-based activist group said it has verified at least 3,766 deaths during Iran’s protest crackdown, warning the toll may be higher. The revised figure exceeds any unrest in decades. Iranian authorities have not given a clear number, though Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cited “several thousand” deaths, blaming the US. Activists also report more than 24,000 arrests amid rising US–Iran tensions.
State-linked media reported that access would be eased in stages, while domestic messaging apps are expected to resume via Iran’s intranet, which has continued to support local services such as banking and transport apps. The blackout followed calls for anti-government protests sparked by economic hardship.
While demonstrations appear to have eased, human rights groups estimate thousands were killed, figures the authorities strongly dispute, blaming unrest on foreign interference.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during recent nationwide protests, marking an unusual admission from the clerical leadership amid a fierce crackdown that has drawn international attention, news agency ANI reported citing Fox news.
In a televised address on Saturday, Khamenei said the unrest, which began in late December over economic hardship and wider political grievances, resulted in "several thousand" deaths.
He described some of the casualties as the result of "inhuman, savage" conditions but shifted blame toward the United States and other foreign actors rather than Iranian security forces.
In the grip of one of the most aggressive crackdowns in recent memory, young Iranians participating in the ongoing wave of anti-regime protests have told TOI that the situation has reached a point where the choice before them feels binary: either victory or death.
Speaking through a conference call organised by an Iranian based in India, three protestors — including one who joined from inside Iran via Starlink — described a country sealed off by blackouts, gripped by fear, and pierced by the quiet urgency of resistance.
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that tensions were decreasing in Iran as the authorities have cancelled over 800 executions and US President Donald Trump has decided to hold off any strikes for the moment, news agency PTI reported.
Tharoor said that these were hopeful signs that there may be a dialing down of the tensions. He said that evacuations were happening, and the cancelling of executions and the US holding off strikes were "good signs".
Iranian diplomat and nuclear negotiator Seyed Hossein Mousavian has warned that military action would destabilise the entire Middle East, urging both Washington and Tehran to pursue direct dialogue in order to resolve mounting tensions.
Mousavian told news agency ANI that whilst Iran's domestic situation has stabilised following recent unrest, fundamental challenges remain that require urgent attention from the Iranian leadership.
He, however, ruled out the possibility of US strikes in view of improving situations in Iran and added that Washington's plan to "collapse Iran through organising unrest" has resulted in disappointment.
"The likelihood of a US military attack has become much weaker, and the Iranian government's restraint regarding the execution of detained individuals gave the U.S. president the opportunity to rule out, at least at this stage, a second strike," he said.
In a speech broadcast by state television, Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead — the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began Dec. 28 and led to a bloody crackdown.
“In this revolt, the US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: ‘We do support you, we do support you militarily,'" said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. He reiterated an accusation that the U.S. seeks domination over Iran’s economic and political resources.
“We do consider the U.S. president a criminal, because of casualties and damages, because of accusations against the Iranian nation,” he said. He described the protesters as “foot soldiers” of the United States and said they had destroyed mosques and educational centers. “Through hurting people, they killed several thousand of them,” he said.
Entering without visas, these "digital travellers" use the brief trips to conduct e-commerce business or file university applications before returning to their families and jobs in Iran.
Some travellers reported funding their stays by selling goods like tea and cigarettes that are cheaper in Iran. While the border has not yet seen a massive influx of asylum seekers, those crossing described a reliance on neighbouring infrastructure to maintain livelihoods during the ongoing domestic communication freeze.
Pahlavi, the son of the Shah overthrown in 1979, has presented himself as a transitional leader in the event of the government's collapse, gaining support among monarchist groups in the diaspora.
However, his influence within Iran remains a subject of debate. The lack of immediate response to his latest call suggests that the heavy repression of recent weeks has successfully stifled the mass movement, even as Pahlavi continues to urge stronger international intervention.
Monitoring groups like NetBlocks and Cloudflare noted very slight increases in connectivity, which may be a temporary measure to allow banks and businesses to process essential transactions at the start of the Iranian working week. Despite this marginal recovery, there is no sign of a significant return to normal internet access as the government maintains control.
This figure marks the deadliest internal unrest in decades, surpassing previous rounds of protest and drawing comparisons to the 1979 revolution.
While an "uneasy calm" has returned to the streets of Tehran with shops reopening and no new demonstrations reported, the situation remains tense.
In a diplomatic shift, President Masoud Pezeshkian briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on efforts to normalise the country, while continuing to accuse the United States and Israel of meddling and fomenting the recent violence.
While the Indian government has not yet launched a formal evacuation operation, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has issued multiple advisories urging the approximately 9,000 Indians in Iran to leave via available commercial means.
Returning travellers described a challenging environment marked by a persistent internet blackout that hindered communication with families, though some students from Shiraz reported their specific areas remained "fine."
The MEA continues to closely monitor the situation, emphasising its commitment to the safety of sailors, students, and pilgrims scattered across Iran's 31 provinces.
The Consulate of India in Bandar Abbas wrote to the Iranian government on December 14 seeking consular access to the crew and has since followed up through diplomatic correspondence and in-person meetings in Bandar Abbas and Tehran, including at the level of the ambassador.
Speaking on Saturday, Khamenei said the United States and Trump personally were behind the demonstrations that swept the country and were met with a violent crackdown. “We consider the US president a criminal for the casualties, damages, and the slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” he said, according to Iran International.
"By God's grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition", he said.
While clarifying that he does not intend to lead Iran into a war, Khamenei warned that he would not spare "domestic criminals" or the "international criminals" he holds responsible for the protest wave.
"We do not intend to lead the country to war, but we will not spare domestic criminals... worse than domestic criminals, international criminals, we will not spare them either," he told supporters.
Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said a “positive sign” was the reported decision by Iranian authorities to halt executions that had earlier been announced. “Two good signs we’ve heard are that the authorities have cancelled the executions of over 800 people that they had announced previously. That’s a very good sign,” he said
“We consider the US president a criminal for the casualties, damages, and the slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, as quoted by Iran International.
Khamenei dismissed the recent widespread demonstrations as an "American plot," asserting that the ultimate goal of the United States is to "devour Iran."
“The recent unrest was an American plot, and the United States’ goal is to devour Iran”, he said.
While Trump suggested the prospect of military action is fading, his assessment contrasts with reports of harsh repression that has left an estimated 2,797 people dead, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Protests appearing to challenge the theocracy have quieted, with outward normality returning to Tehran as the President backs away from previous promises that "help is on the way."
Despite this change, access remains restricted to approximately 2 per cent of ordinary levels, with NetBlocks noting there is still no indication of a "significant return" to service.
The blackout was originally imposed on January 8 as authorities moved to suppress escalating demonstrations. While some users overseas reported receiving limited messages from within the country, the digital environment remains largely severed from the global internet as the regime maintains strict control over information flow.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to more than 3,000, marking the country’s deadliest unrest in decades, rights activists said on Saturday.The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, Reuters reported. Residents said a sweeping crackdown appeared to have largely quelled demonstrations for now, while state media reported more arrests. Meanwhile, internet monitoring groups reported a “very slight rise” in connectivity after an eight-day blackout across the country.
Read full storyReza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled crown prince, on Friday spoke about India–Iran ties and future cooperation, while speaking about the ongoing protests against Iran’s clerical leadership. Speaking at a news conference, Pahlavi said India and Iran shared a relationship that went back decades. Recalling earlier ties, he said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had visited Iran when he was very young.
Read full storyInternet connectivity in Iran edged up only marginally on Saturday, more than 200 hours into a nationwide internet shutdown imposed during protests against authorities, according to monitoring group NetBlocks.
“Metrics show a very slight rise in internet connectivity in Iran this morning after the 200-hour mark,” NetBlocks said on X. However, it noted that connectivity remained at around just 2 per cent of normal levels, with no indication of “a significant return” to regular service.
"During the ongoing protest at the Iranian Embassy this evening, a protester illegally accessed private property and climbed across multiple balconies onto the roof of the Embassy and removed a flag," the Metropolitan police said through a post on X.
Police said a protester who scaled the roof of Iran’s embassy in London and took down a flag was arrested, along with several others, after demonstrations that left multiple officers injured, as cited by AFP.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s late shah, said Friday he is confident that ongoing mass protests will eventually topple the Islamic Republic. Speaking at a news conference in Washington, the exiled opposition figure declared that the fall of the cleric-led state is inevitable, saying it is “not if, but when.” Pahlavi has urged stronger international action as Iranian authorities continue to repress demonstrations sparked by economic grievances.
US President Donald Trump thanked Iran's leadership on Friday for canceling what he said were plans to execute hundreds of political prisoners. “Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for Florida, adding that he “greatly respected” the decision. The remarks marked a shift from Trump’s earlier warnings that the U.S. could intervene militarily if Iran carried out mass killings of protesters.
At least 3,090 people have been killed in Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests, according to activists cited by the Associated Press. While signs of normalcy are returning in some areas after weeks of unrest that began in late December, the sharply rising death toll underscores the severity of the government's response to demonstrations driven by economic hardship and political anger.
US President Donald Trump struck a more conciliatory tone, praising Iran’s leaders for not carrying out mass executions of detained protesters. Trump has previously said executions or the killing of peaceful demonstrators would cross his red lines for possible US action, including military intervention.
