Iran Anti-Government Protests 2026: Khamenei Defiant Amid Trump's Warning

A republic built on blood refuses to back down. As Iran faces its largest anti-government protests in years, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has labeled demonstrators as 'vandals' and 'troublemakers.' In a defiant televised address on Friday, the 86-year-old leader accused the crowds of attempting to please US President Donald Trump, signaling a hardline stance against the 13-day-old uprising.

Iran Anti-Government Protests 2026: Escalating Casualties

The human cost of the unrest is mounting rapidly. According to Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), at least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed by security forces. The US-based HRANA reports that over 2,277 individuals have been arrested since the protests erupted on December 28. Meanwhile, the government claims 14 security personnel have also lost their lives in the clashes.

A near-total internet blackout has plunged the country into information darkness. Monitoring groups Cloudflare and Netblocks confirmed that traffic plummeted late Thursday, making it increasingly difficult to verify reports of violence. Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi warned that the shutdown could be a precursor to a 'massacre,' as the state seeks to suppress the dissent away from global scrutiny.

Geopolitical Stakes and Regime Stability

President Trump has warned Tehran that the US will 'hit very hard' if the killing of protesters continues. This international pressure is met with domestic defiance; the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated it would no longer tolerate the 'current situation.' Adding to the complexity, Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah, has called for US intervention to support the Iranian people’s push for regime change.