*Ayatollah accuses ‘rioters’ of pleasing Trump
An Iranian police officer was killed in a stabbing during unrest near the capital, local media reported on Thursday, as protests in the country entered a 12th day. He is the latest security personnel that has been reported dead since the protest started.
Also, rights groups say at least 48 protesters have been killed since demonstrations began on 28 December.
The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, HRANA, is reporting that at least 48 protesters and 14 security personnel have been killed since the demonstrations began on 28 December.
Separately, Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights has counted at least 51 protesters killed, including nine children.
Most international news organisations, including the BBC, are barred from reporting inside Iran, which means that social media is needed to verify casualties. However, the internet has been almost completely shut down since Thursday night.
BBC Persian has so far confirmed the deaths and identities of 22 people. Iranian authorities have so far confirmed the deaths of six security personnel.
Shahin Dehghan, a member of the police force in Malard county west of Tehran, “was martyred a few hours ago after being stabbed during efforts to control unrest”, Fars news agency reported, adding that efforts to identify the perpetrators are underway.
They’re vandals – Ayatollah
Meanwhile, speaking to supporters, Khamenei dismissed demonstrators as a “bunch of vandals” seeking to “please” US President Donald Trump.
In a video address broadcast on national TV, Khamenei said: “A bunch of vandals came out in Tehran and other places and destroyed buildings belonging to their own country just to please the president of the US.
“That’s because he made the absurd claim that he supports you rioters and people who are harmful to the country. If he’s capable, he should run his own country.”
The Iranian leader, who has been in power since 1989, added that Trump’s hands “are stained with blood of more than a thousand Iranian martyred during the 12-day war [with Israel]”.
“A group of inexperienced and careless people believe him and act according to his wishes. They set fire to rubbish bins to please him,” he adds.
“Let everyone know that the Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of several hundred thousand honourable people and it will not back down in the face of those who deny this.
Internet access
Despite the internet outage, the official account of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in English on X has been active today, reposting his speech in which he accused US President Donald Trump of having “Iranian blood” on his “hands”.
Back in November, a new location feature on X revealed that many Iranian officials and media figures were accessing the banned platform without proxy servers or VPNs.
This reignited discussions over the existence of a “tiered internet” in the country.
Unrest broke out on December 28 after merchants in Tehran staged a protest against rising prices and the collapse of the rial, triggering a wave of similar actions in other cities.
Iran’s currency crashes
On Thursday, the US dollar was trading at above 1.4 million rials while the euro stood at over 1.7 million mark, according to websites tracking unofficial exchange rates.
Since their outbreak, the demonstrations have spread to 25 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to an AFP tally based on official statements and local media.
Clashes have killed dozens of people, including members of the security forces, according to official media.
It is Iran’s biggest protest movement since the 2022-2023 rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.
The demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of that movement, let alone that of mass 2009 street protests that followed disputed elections.
But they have presented a new challenge for Iran’s leadership against the backdrop of an economic crisis and following the war with Israel last year.
Iranian officials have acknowledged the protesters’ economic demands but have warned against “rioting” and vowed a “decisive response” to any attempt to create instability.
Local media has reported multiple arrests of “rioters” since the outbreak of the protests, though no official figure has yet been announced.
On Wednesday, Iran’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “meddlesome and deceptive remarks by US officials regarding Iran’s internal developments”.
Its statement, which did not name any specific American official, came after US Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News: “To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight.”
Graham also warned Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that US President Donald Trump would kill him “if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life”.
Trump had warned on Sunday that Tehran would “get hit very hard” if more demonstrators were killed.
The Iranian foreign ministry said the US line on the protests was not born from a concern for the Iranian people, but was “in line with the policy of maximum pressure, threats and interference in Iran’s internal affairs”. It also blamed US sanctions for “a major part of” Iran’s economic problems.
