Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused U.S. President Donald Trump today of causing "deaths, damages, and defamation of the Iranian people" during the weeks of protests in the country and described him as a "criminal".
Media outlets reported Khamenei saying that "the recent incitement against Iran was different, due to the personal involvement of the American president", calling for the authorities to "break the backs of the agitators".
He mentioned that "those linked to Israel and the United States caused severe damage and killed several thousand people", adding that they "set fires, destroyed public and private properties and incited chaos", and stated they "committed crimes and launched dangerous slander".
In remarks that seemed to be a response to U.S. President Donald Trump, official media quoted Khamenei saying, "We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let local or international criminals go unpunished."
In turn, Iranian authorities accused individuals they described as "rioters" and "terrorists" who were "armed infiltrators among the protesters", stating that "Israel and the United States stand behind their organization, and they are responsible for killing protesters and security personnel".
The American Stance
The Human Rights Activists News Agency "HRANA", based in the United States, confirmed that 3,090 people had died, including 2,885 protesters, and more than 22,000 had been arrested.
Although Trump repeatedly threatened to intervene and promised to take "very strong action" if Iranian authorities executed protesters, he thanked Tehran leaders on Friday in a social media post for abandoning the "idea of mass execution", while Tehran confirmed that there was no "plan to hang people".
Trump noted that he "highly appreciates Iran cancelling the execution of hundreds of people scheduled for Thursday". He added that the decision not to strike Iran was taken personally by him and not influenced by anyone.
The Wall Street Journal quoted White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt saying, "No one knows what President Trump will decide regarding Iran." She added that the president keeps his options open, assuring that he will make decisions that serve the interests of America and the world.
It should be noted that the protests erupted in Tehran on December 28 due to deteriorating economic conditions and escalated into widespread demonstrations demanding an end to clerical rule in the Islamic Republic.
Internet Reinstatement
Iranian authorities partially lifted the internet blockade today, Saturday, and residents confirmed the slight return of communication services after days of disruption, including internet and text messaging services.
"NetBlocks" group for internet monitoring mentioned in a post on the X platform that "there is a very slight increase in internet connectivity in Iran this morning" after a 200-hour outage, noting that internet connectivity was around 2% of normal levels.
A resident of Karaj, west of Tehran, noted the return of the internet precisely at 4 a.m. local time. He requested anonymity and added that "Thursday witnessed the peak of disruptions in his area" where violent acts occurred during the protests.
Arrest Operations
Iranian state-run media reported that several individuals described as "leaders of sedition behind the disturbances" had been arrested following "complex intelligence operations".
They reported that authorities in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran had arrested 22 people described as leaders of sedition behind "riot acts", alongside more than 10 suspects involved in killings and 50 accused of setting fires to public and private properties.
In the northern Gilan province, officials reported the arrest of 50 "leaders of sedition", and the total number of detainees exceeded 1,500.
State television reported that two men in Tehran connected to the exiled opposition group "People's Mujahedin of Iran", which advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, had been arrested.
Reports also mentioned that among the detainees in the operation was a woman named Nazneen Baradarani, who operates under the alias "Raha Barham", accused of working for Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Iranian shah, confirming she played a leadership role in organizing the disturbances.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials expressed their support for opposition factions; Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu told Israeli Army Radio that "Israel has agents on the ground in Iran, and the goal of their presence is to weaken Iran's capabilities," but he denied that they are working directly to overthrow the regime.
