Iran’s leader calls Trump a ‘criminal’ for backing protests and blames demonstrators for deaths

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By ELENA BECATOROSJanuary 17, 2026 at 02:23 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In a televised speech on Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned U.S. President Donald Trump as a "criminal" for supporting Iranian protesters. Khamenei blamed the demonstrators for the deaths of "several thousand" people during the protests that began on December 28th. He accused the U.S. of seeking to dominate Iran and described the protesters as "foot soldiers" of the United States who destroyed property and killed people. Khamenei claimed the rioters were armed with foreign-imported ammunition. His remarks followed conciliatory comments from Trump, who stated that Iran had canceled the hanging of over 800 people, a claim disputed by Iranian officials.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Arab Emirates 30% Dubai 30% IRNA 40% Ali Salehi 50% Tehran ×260% United States ×385% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ×390% Donald Trump ×690% Iran ×795%

Keywords

iran protests 90% ayatollah ali khamenei 80% donald trump 80% u.s. support 70% crackdown 60% casualties 60% death sentence 50% anti-government protests 50% political domination 50% state television 40%