Iran’s supreme leader has finally admitted what the world already knew — that thousands of Iranians were killed during recent anti-government protests — and he did it just as President Donald Trump turned up the pressure and called for new leadership in Tehran. Timing, as always, is everything.
According to reporting from the BBC, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged the deaths for the first time during a public address on Saturday. Naturally, instead of taking responsibility, he blamed the United States for the unrest, claiming that some protesters died “in an inhuman, savage manner.” Coming from the head of a regime accused of shooting its own people in the streets, that’s a bold accusation — if irony were currency, Iran would be rich.
The protests began in late December over economic conditions but quickly evolved into something far more dangerous for the regime: open calls to end Iran’s ruling system altogether. That kind of momentum doesn’t come from foreign tweets — it comes from years of failed leadership.
The U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed in roughly three weeks of unrest. Iranian authorities, for their part, have declined to release an official death toll — because transparency has never exactly been their strong suit.
Independent verification has been made difficult by nationwide internet shutdowns, with connectivity reportedly dropping to about 2% of normal levels, according to data cited by the BBC from cyber monitoring group NetBlocks. When a government shuts off the internet, it’s usually not because things are going great.
Still, the truth has a way of leaking out. Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest, putting hard evidence behind what protesters and human rights groups have been saying all along.
President Trump, never one to mince words, responded forcefully. Speaking to Politico on Saturday after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account, Trump said it’s “time to look for new leadership in Iran.” He went on to say that Khamenei is guilty of “the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” adding that “leadership is about respect, not fear and death.” That’s not rhetoric — that’s a definition.
Trump was even more direct on a personal level, telling Politico, “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” and adding that Iran is “the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership.” Again, harsh words — but facts have a reputation for being stubborn.
The president has previously urged Iranians to continue protesting and “take over institutions,” saying that “help is on its way,” according to Politico. He later said he had been informed that the killings had stopped, and pointedly noted, “The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” when asked about potential U.S. military action.
Meanwhile, Khamenei has continued to deflect blame. In a series of X posts, he accused Trump of responsibility for the violence, writing, “We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation.”
Despite the regime’s excuses and finger-pointing, one thing is clear: the Iranian people are demanding change, and the world is finally hearing their voices. With strong American leadership calling out tyranny and standing for accountability, there is real hope that Iran’s future can be brighter, freer, and led by leaders who respect their people rather than fear them.
