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New Delhi: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused US President Donald Trump of orchestrating Iran's recent wave of protests and holding him directly responsible for the deaths and damage caused during the unrest.
Speaking on Saturday, Khamenei said the United States -- and Trump personally -- were behind the demonstrations that swept Iran 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," Khamenei said, according to Iran International.
Khamenei alleged that the protests were part of a broader American conspiracy aimed at undermining Iran and extending US dominance. "The recent unrest was an American plot, and the United States' goal is to devour Iran," he said, accusing Trump of openly intervening by encouraging protesters and offering support.
Rejecting international portrayals of the demonstrations as a popular uprising, Khamenei accused Washington of misrepresenting "vandals" as the Iranian people. He praised the authorities' response to the unrest and warned those he said were responsible for instigating it.
"The Iranian nation, just as it broke the back of the riot, must also break the back of those who instigated it," he said, adding that Iran would not forgive "domestic and international criminals" linked to the protests.
According to Khamenei, more than 3,000 people were killed during the unrest, citing figures from human rights organisations. He alleged that elements linked to the United States and Israel were involved in the violence. Iran has not released official casualty figures, and the numbers have not been independently verified.
The protests began over economic grievances and escalated into direct challenges to Iran's leadership. They have largely subsided following a sweeping security crackdown, with no major unrest reported in Tehran for several days, though internet restrictions remain in place.
Despite Khamenei's confrontational tone, Trump has recently struck a more conciliatory note, publicly thanking Iran's leaders for not carrying out mass executions of detained protesters. He has described executions and the killing of peaceful demonstrators as red lines for possible US action, while signalling reluctance to further escalate tensions.
