An Iranian cleric has urged for the execution of protesters arrested amidst the national crackdown on ongoing demonstrations against the country’s Islamic leadership.

This call for severe punishment comes in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s warnings of potential U.S. intervention should protesters face violent suppression.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, aired by Iranian state radio, reportedly ignited chants among the prayer attendees, shouting phrases like, “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!” according to the Associated Press.

In his address, Khatami provided the first comprehensive statistics regarding the destruction resulting from protests that erupted in late December. These details offer insight into the extent of the unrest following the regime’s nationwide internet shutdown on January 8.

Iran’s senior cleric Ahmad Khatami is seen delivering his sermon during a Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran on January 5, 2018. (Ebrahim Noroozi, File/AP Photo)

The cleric claimed 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles sustained damage.

Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders had also reportedly been damaged, the AP reported, adding that it could be a sign of demonstrators taking out their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within Iran’s theocracy.

“They want you to withdraw from religion,” Khatami said, according to the AP. “They planned these crimes from a long time ago.”

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Khatami, who was appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and serves on the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as being “butlers” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”

Khamenei made similar remarks, saying that the protesters were “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,” referring to Trump.

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Trump has been vocal in his support for the Iranian people and said early on that the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if the regime used violence against protesters. It is unclear if and when the U.S. will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has circulated following the bombing of the country’s nuclear sites in 2025 and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.