Iranian supreme leader says protesters 'ruining their own streets' to please Trump

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled that information forces would clamp down connected protesters aft overnight marches done the streets arsenic the state continues to spot demonstrations.

Overnight, Iran was plunged into a nationwide net blackout arsenic anti-regime protests intensified. The blackout severely restricted communications crossed the state arsenic demonstrations participate their 2nd week and the decease toll reportedly reaches 44. Live web information from NetBlocks showed net postulation collapsing successful the troubled federation connected Thursday evening, soon aft calls circulated for wide protests astatine 8 p.m. section time.

Khamenei's informing astir information forces came conscionable days aft President Donald Trump vowed the U.S. would intervene if peaceful Iranian protesters were met with unit astatine the hands of the regime.

"If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America volition travel to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and acceptable to go," Trump wrote successful a Truth Social station connected Jan. 2.

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Hundreds of Iranian nationals are reportedly acceptable to beryllium deported nether a woody betwixt Iran and the U.S. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images;  Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump reiterated the connection during an interrogation with Hugh Hewitt connected Thursday and said that if the authorities forces were to termination protesters, "they volition beryllium deed precise hard." The remark was posted connected the State Department's Farsi feed.

The Iranian person dismissed Trump's statements, saying that the U.S. president's hands were "stained with the humor of Iranians" arsenic supporters shouted "Death to America!" successful footage aired connected Iranian authorities TV, according to The Associated Press.

Iranians stitchery portion blocking a thoroughfare during a protestation successful Kermanshah, Iran connected Jan. 8, 2026. (Kamran / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

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Khamenei said that Iranian protesters were "ruining their ain streets to marque the president of different state happy," referring to Trump.

Short videos purportedly showing protests against the authorities inactive circulated earlier the blackout chopped the federation from the net and planetary calls, according to the AP. The outlet noted that the videos appeared to amusement protesters chanting against the Iranian authorities astir bonfires arsenic debris littered the streets successful Tehran and different areas successful the country. Iranian authorities media claimed "terrorist agents" from the U.S. and Israel acceptable the fires and sparked the violence, the AP reported.

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled Iran conscionable earlier the 1979 Islamic Revolution, called for the protests connected Thursday night. Pahlavi said connected X that helium was arrogant of each those who demonstrated against the authorities connected Thursday night.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is pictured sitting adjacent to a elder subject authoritative successful Iran. (Getty Images)

"I americium arrogant of each and each 1 of you who took implicit the streets crossed Iran connected Thursday night... You saw however the monolithic crowds forced the repressive forces to retreat," Pahlavi said. "Those of you who were hesitant, articulation your chap compatriots connected Friday night."

Pahlavi encouraged protests connected Friday to beryllium adjacent larger than the ones that took spot the nighttime before, saying it would further weaken the Islamic Republic's regime. He besides expressed his religion that the radical successful the streets would not springiness up successful the look of net blackouts, assuring the protesters that the triumph belonged to them.

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House for comment.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this report.