\n In his televised address Saturday, Khamenei said the \u201crioters\u201d involved in the unrest fell under two categories: people supported, funded and trained by the US and Israel, and young people influenced by them. The latter, he said, were \u201cnaive individuals whom the ringleaders manipulated.\u201d He said those young people damaged power industry facilities, mosques, educational institutes, banks, medical facilities and grocery stores.\n <\/p>\n
\n The Iranian government has often blamed \u201cforeign\u201d agents for the deadly protests in the country, without providing evidence.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cBy harming the people, they (the \u2018rioters\u2019) killed several thousand of them,\u201d Khamenei said.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cSome were killed with a force that was inhuman \u2026 completely savagely,\u201d the Iranian leader continued. \u201cThese actions were part of the sedition\u2019s pre-prepared blueprint.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Earlier in the week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back<\/a> against the reported death toll of \u201cthousands,\u201d telling Fox News\u2019 Bret Baier that the number was actually in the hundreds and that suggestions otherwise were part of a \u201cmisinformation campaign.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n In his Saturday speech, Khamenei declared that \u201cthe US must be held accountable.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n During the unrest, Trump encouraged protesters<\/a> to keep up the demonstrations and \u201ctake over\u201d the country\u2019s institutions, assuring them that \u201chelp is on its way.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe consider the US President a criminal, both for the casualties and damage, and for the slander he leveled against the Iranian nation,\u201d Khamenei said, according to a translation of speech excerpts on his website.\n <\/p>\n \n Trump responded swiftly, calling for new leadership in Iran and referring to Khamenei as a \u201csick man\u201d who should \u201crun his country properly and stop killing people.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n In a Saturday morning interview with Politico, Trump said Khamenei is guilty, \u201cas the leader of a country,\u201d of \u201cthe complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIn order to keep the country functioning \u2014 even though that function is a very low level \u2014 the leadership should focus on running his country properly, like I do with the United States, and not killing people by the thousands in order to keep control,\u201d Trump said.\n <\/p>\n \n The supreme leader recognized in his speech that Iran\u2019s economic situation is \u201ctruly difficult\u201d but called for people to unite \u201cin defending the Islamic system and beloved Iran.\u201d He called on government officials to redouble their efforts in supplying essential goods, livestock feed and other essential commodities.\n <\/p>\n \n Citing Monday\u2019s pro-government rallies<\/a> across Iran, Khamenei claimed Saturday that the protests have been \u201cextinguished.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Amid the protests that were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, the Iranian government shut off internet connections on January 8. But on Saturday morning, there was a \u201cslight rise\u201d in connectivity, according to cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOverall connectivity remains at (about) 2% of ordinary levels and there is no indication of a significant return,\u201d NetBlocks added in a statement<\/a> on X.\n <\/p>\n \n Iran\u2019s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported Saturday that the internet has been restored to \u201csome subscribers,\u201d saying the shutdown was enacted due to what it described as \u201cterrorist unrest\u201d and to \u201censure the security of the country and its citizens.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Some international landline calls and local text messages also appeared to be working again, a Tehran resident told CNN on Saturday. Internet connection itself remains patchy in the country, the resident said.\n <\/p>\n \n In the Saturday address, Iran\u2019s supreme leader vowed consequences for those who took part in the \u201criots\u201d but did not elaborate on what their punishments would be.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe will not lead the country into war, but we will not let go of the domestic criminals and \u2014 more importantly \u2014 the international criminals,\u201d he said. \u201cThis matter must be pursued using our own methods and the correct approach.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n More than 24,000 protesters have been arrested, according to HRANA. CNN cannot independently verify that figure.\n <\/p>\n \n But fears mounted for the fate of some protesters after Tehran\u2019s prosecutor said last week that some of them could face the death penalty<\/a> for their actions, according to semi-official Tasnim News Agency.\n <\/p>\n ![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2255277125-20260115175039687.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Iranians](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2254948954-20260116151859820.jpg\")
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