Khamenei Acknowledges Protest Deaths, Accuses Trump of Incitement

Overview

• In his first public admission, the supreme leader said several thousand people were killed during the unrest and vowed to punish what he called domestic and international criminals.
• The rights group HRANA reports about 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, and more than 22,000 arrests, figures that could not be independently verified.
• President Donald Trump threatened very strong action if Iran executed detainees, then later thanked Tehran after claiming mass hangings were canceled.
• The New York Times reported increased U.S. military moves to the region, including the redeployment of the carrier Abraham Lincoln and additional defensive assets.
• Iran’s prosecutor-general signaled harsh prosecutions by labeling detainees as mohareb, a charge punishable by death, as NetBlocks reported nationwide connectivity remains near zero.