Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jan 10: Anti-government protests continued to intensify across Iran, with fresh reports of deaths, mass detentions and communication shutdowns in several regions, as nationwide unrest shows no signs of easing.
According to multiple media accounts, at least 62 people have lost their lives since demonstrations erupted in late December. The protests, initially sparked by economic grievances, have since evolved into a broader movement expressing anger against Iran’s ruling clerical establishment.
State media on Friday blamed the violence on what it described as “terrorist agents” linked to the United States and Israel, accusing them of stoking unrest across the country. The demonstrations first broke out on December 28, 2025, in two Tehran markets over soaring inflation and the sharp decline of the Iranian rial, before rapidly spreading nationwide.
While official outlets had largely avoided acknowledging fatalities, state media on Friday conceded that there had been “casualties,” without releasing specific figures.
Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported a higher toll, claiming more than 65 protesters have been killed and at least 2,311 people detained as of January 9, the 13th day of protests. According to HRANA, demonstrations have been recorded at 512 locations across 180 cities in all 31 provinces of Iran.
Addressing the nation on Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei adopted a confrontational tone, directly attacking US President Donald Trump. He accused Trump of arrogance, alleged that his hands were “stained with the blood of Iranians,” and claimed the US leader would eventually be “overthrown.”
Khamenei also hinted at a tougher crackdown by security forces, dismissing Trump’s stated support for peaceful protesters. As state television aired footage of crowds chanting “Death to America!”, Khamenei accused demonstrators of damaging their own cities to appease Washington.
“Protesters are ruining their own streets to please the president of the United States,” the 86-year-old leader said while addressing supporters at his Tehran compound. “He should focus on the situation in his own country.”
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei further criticised Trump’s foreign policy, including US actions in Venezuela, which he claimed were motivated by oil interests. He also alleged that more than a thousand Iranians were killed during a 12-day war in June on Trump’s orders, accusing the US President of openly admitting responsibility.
Amid the turmoil, Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi appealed to Trump for immediate intervention. “This is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support and action,” Pahlavi wrote on social media, urging the US President to help the Iranian people.
Pahlavi has repeatedly used online platforms to encourage Iranians to challenge the rule of Supreme Leader Khamenei. Following his latest appeal, large crowds reportedly took to the streets on Thursday and Friday, chanting anti-government slogans, expressing support for Pahlavi and calling for his return.
Pahlavi’s father, Iran’s last monarch, fled the country ahead of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ended the monarchy and ushered in the current Islamic Republic.