'We Consider US President Criminal': Iran's Khamenei Blames Trump For Backing Protests

Dubai: As protests raged on in Iran, its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed US President Donald Trump for instigating demonstrations, even described him as a “criminal” for allegedly “damaging” the conflict-ridden nation.

"We consider the U.S. president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation," Khamenei said, according to Iranian state media.

“We do not intend to lead the country toward war. However, we will not just let go of the criminals inside the country either. Worse than the internal criminals are the international criminals! We will not let go of them either,” he added, hinting at Donald Trump.

The protests which broke out in Iran on December 28 over the crashing currency, eventually blew up into massive demonstrations across major urban centers in the Middle Eastern country, calling for the end of the Ayatollah regime. As the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cracked down on the protesters, it has led to more than 3,090 deaths so far, including 2,885 protesters, and over 22,000 arrests, as per human rights group reports.

Trump Hardens Position on Iran

Trump has been frequently changing his positions on Iran, oscillating between mediations and conducting strikes. Riding on the high of his recent military intervention in Venezuela, he has repeatedly threatened to intervene in the Middle East.

In his latest interview with Politico, Trump described Khamenei as a “sick man” whose leadership has burdened the Iranian people and contributed to widespread suffering. The US President said “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran” and called for an end to Khamenei’s 37-year rule.

While he did not outline a specific U.S. policy for regime change, his remarks mark one of his most direct condemnations of the regime ever since the protests broke out.

However, on Friday, in a social media post, he thanked Tehran's leaders for called off mass hangings. Iran had said that there was “no plan” to carry out the executions.

In another recent interview with Reuters, Trump said that Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice.” However, he seemed uncertain whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within the conflict-ridden nation.

Khamenei Acknowledges Extent of Protests

Khamenei said that "several thousand deaths" had happened during the recent nationwide protests and accused the U.S. and Israel of allegedly organising them.

"Those linked to Israel and the U.S. caused massive damage and killed several thousand," he said, adding that they started fires, destroyed public property and incited chaos. They "committed crimes and a grave slander," he reportedly said.

According to Iranian State media thousands of "rioters and terrorists" have been arrested across the country, including several people Iranian state media described as “ringleaders.”

Amid these protests Reza Pahlavi, a longtime opposition figure and the exiled crown prince, has positioned himself as a potential leader in the event of regime collapse. He has even stated that he would seek to re-establish diplomatic ties between Iran and Israel if he were comes to power in Iran.

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