Overview
- Iran’s supreme leader publicly cited “several thousands” of deaths for the first time and said the U.S. president is responsible for the casualties and damage.
- State media quoted Khamenei accusing the U.S. and Israel of directing the unrest and claiming some rioters were equipped with imported live ammunition, adding that Washington must be held to account.
- President Trump responded by calling for new leadership in Iran and asserting executions had been halted, a claim Iranian judicial officials dismissed and that remains unconfirmed.
- Authorities imposed a nationwide internet blackout on January 8, with only limited, intermittent service partially restored, according to NetBlocks, Cloudflare and Iranian media.
- Rights groups report 3,000-plus deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, warn some detainees could face capital charges, and note independent verification is hampered by severe connectivity limits.