{"id":8980,"date":"2026-01-17T14:19:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=8980"},"modified":"2026-01-17T14:19:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:19:47","slug":"irans-khamenei-says-us-israel-links-behind-thousands-killed-in-protests-protests-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=8980","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s Khamenei says US, Israel links behind \u2018thousands killed\u2019 in protests | Protests News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>The country\u2019s supreme leader says foreign-backed protests \u2018caused massive damage and killed several thousands\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 17 Jan 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">17 Jan 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"859\">Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says actors linked to the United States and Israel were responsible for killing \u201cseveral thousands\u201d of people during weeks of antigovernment protests in the country.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"859\">\u201cThose linked to Israel and US caused massive damages and killed several thousands\u201d during the protests that convulsed Iran for more than two weeks, Khamenei said on Saturday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"859\">He accused the two nations of direct involvement in the violence, describing US President Donald Trump as a \u201ccriminal\u201d. \u201cThe latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the US president personally became involved,\u201d Iranian state media quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"590\" data-end=\"859\">Iranian authorities have increasingly pointed the finger at foreign powers for the unrest, accusing longstanding geopolitical rivals \u2013 mainly Israel and the US \u2013 of fomenting instability and directing operations on the ground.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1600\" data-end=\"1847\">Khamenei warned that while Iran would avoid escalation beyond its borders, those it holds responsible would face consequences. \u201cWe will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"931\" data-end=\"1164\">Reporting from Tehran via satellite, Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar Atas said Khamenei\u2019s remarks largely reaffirmed Iran\u2019s longstanding position but also introduced a significant new claim on casualties.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1427\" data-end=\"1720\">Khamenei alleged a deeper level of US involvement than in past unrest. \u201cHe said that in previous protests there was a low level of intervention of the Americans, but this time the president of the United States was a central figure in this international plot against Iran,\u201d Atas added.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1722\" data-end=\"2000\">What stood out, however, was the scale of the alleged death toll. \u201cOne thing that is new in his speech is that for the first time he is actually giving a sense of the numbers of people killed,\u201d Atas said. \u201cHe is saying that the violent protesters have killed thousands of people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2959\" data-end=\"3333\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">There is still no confirmed death toll, though US-based rights group, HRANA, says a further 3,000 have been killed in the protests. Until now, Iranian officials had publicly acknowledged hundreds of deaths, including members of the security forces.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2002\" data-end=\"2374\">Khamenei\u2019s claim marks the first time the country\u2019s top authority has spoken of casualties in the thousands.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2002\" data-end=\"2374\">Atas noted that the claim aligns, at least partially, with assertions by some international human rights groups. \u201cThey have been saying that the death toll is much higher than what is being publicly announced by the officials,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2959\" data-end=\"3333\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Iranian officials also say some <a href=\"https:\/\/aje.aj-harbinger.com\/news\/2026\/1\/16\/iran-says-3000-people-arrested-as-antigovernment-protests-subside\">3,000 people<\/a>\u00a0have been arrested over the protests.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2002\" data-end=\"2374\">Khamenei also accused protesters of widespread destruction, \u201cincluding burning more than 250 mosque and medical facilities\u201d, Atas said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2616\" data-end=\"2974\">According to Iran\u2019s official narrative, protests initially began peacefully over rising prices and economic hardship on December 28 in several Iranian cities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2616\" data-end=\"2974\">\u201cThe government was acknowledging their demands and the hardships that they are facing,\u201d Atas said, before adding that authorities now argue the demonstrations were later \u201chijacked by the violent protests who were receiving orders from the outside powers\u201d.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2976\" data-end=\"3130\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Iranian officials claim those involved were \u201cequipped, financed, and trained\u201d by foreign actors, with Khamenei placing Trump \u201cin the centre of this plot\u201d.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"620\" data-end=\"854\">The semiofficial Fars News Agency on Saturday said authorities restored the short messaging service (SMS) nationwide as part of a phased plan after eight days of near-total\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/aje.aj-harbinger.com\/features\/2026\/1\/16\/iran-in-limbo-whats-next-for-country-under-internet-blackout\">internet disruption<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The country\u2019s supreme leader says foreign-backed protests \u2018caused massive damage and killed several thousands\u2019. Published On 17 Jan 202617 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says actors linked to the United States and Israel were responsible for killing \u201cseveral thousands\u201d of people during weeks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-canada-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}