For the first time, Iran’s supreme leader has admitted that the recent anti-government protests resulted in thousands of fatalities. This revelation comes from a report by the BBC, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s intensifying criticism and his call for a regime change in Iran.

In a public address on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attributed the turmoil and subsequent violence to U.S. influence, describing how some demonstrators met their end in what he referred to as “inhuman, savage” circumstances, as per the BBC’s coverage.

The unrest initially sparked in late December, driven by economic grievances, but soon grew into demands for the dismantling of Iran’s ruling regime.

The Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency, based in the United States, approximates that over 3,000 individuals lost their lives during the three-week period of chaos, although Iranian officials have yet to provide an official count.

The BBC notes that the Iranian government’s nationwide internet shutdowns have significantly hindered independent fact-checking. According to data from the cyber monitoring organization NetBlocks, internet connectivity plunged to about 2% of its typical capacity.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly acknowledged Saturday that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests. ( Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest.

Trump told Politico on Saturday that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of responsibility for the violence.

“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said, according to Politico. “Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”

President Donald Trump has said in recent days he was looking at “very strong options” including possible military involvement in Iran. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

Trump went further in personal terms, telling Politico, “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people.”

“His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,” Trump added.

Trump has previously urged Iranians to continue protesting and “take over institutions,” saying that “help is on its way,” according to Politico. The president later said he had been informed that the killings had stopped.

“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump told Politico, when asked about the scope of potential U.S. military action.

Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.  (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

In a series of posts on X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of responsibility for the violence, writing, “We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation.”

In another post, Khamenei claimed that “America’s goal is to devour Iran.”

Trump has said in recent days he was looking at “very strong options” including possible military involvement.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.