Rubio revokes Iranian officials' US travel privileges over deadly protest crackdown killing thousands

Secretary of State Marco Rubio precocious revoked Iranian elder officials and their household members' privilege to question to the U.S., citing ongoing oppression by the regime.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s authorities is accused of sidesplitting much than 6,200 protesters since Dec. 28, with astir 17,100 further arrests arsenic net communications stay halted, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

"As the radical of Iran proceed to combat for their basal rights, [Rubio] took enactment this week to revoke the privilege of Iranian elder officials and their household members to beryllium successful the United States," the State Department wrote successful an X post. "Those who nett from the Iranian regime's brutal oppression are not invited to payment from our migration system."

In summation to the imaginable civilian rights violations successful Iran, tensions person flared betwixt Khamenei and President Donald Trump, arsenic the U.S. attempts to onslaught a atomic deal.

Demonstrators pain pictures of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei extracurricular the Iranian embassy during a rally successful enactment of nationwide protests, Jan. 12, successful Iran, successful London.  (Toby Melville/Reuters)

IRAN'S TOP PROSECUTOR CRITICIZES TRUMP'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 800+ EXECUTIONS WERE HALTED: 'COMPLETELY FALSE'

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned connected Wednesday the nation's subject is "prepared—with their fingers connected the trigger—to instantly and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea."

Araghchi claimed that Iran has "always welcomed" a mutually beneficial, just and equitable atomic woody that would guarantee Iran's rights to peaceful atomic technology, and warrant nary atomic weapons.

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

TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'FINAL' 25% TARIFF ON COUNTRIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN REGIME

Trump fired backmost connected Truth Social, informing a "massive" armada was heading to Iran "with velocity and violence, if necessary."

"Time is moving out, it is genuinely of the essence!" Trump wrote successful a post. "As I told Iran erstwhile before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and determination was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a large demolition of Iran. The adjacent onslaught volition beryllium acold worse! Don’t marque that hap again."

The president said Thursday nighttime it would beryllium "great" if the U.S. did not person to usage the subject fleet.

The authorities taxation gathering burned during Iran's protests, connected a thoroughfare successful Tehran, Iran, Jan. 19, 2026.  (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

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The State Department connected Wednesday besides demanded Tehran overturn the decease punishment for 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, a decorated Iranian wrestler who was arrested portion peacefully protesting against the authorities earlier this month.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.