- Khamenei’s senior advisor allegedly names Trump and Netanyahu as ‘killers’.
- The explosive statement came in response to Trump’s ‘help is coming’ pledge to protesters.
- Activist groups claim security crackdown has resulted in at least 1,847 protester deaths.
Former US President Donald Trump has issued a strong statement aimed at Iranian demonstrators, urging them to continue protesting and promising US assistance. According to reports, Trump used his platform to state clearly that “help is coming” and encouraged the Iranian people to “keep protesting.” This intervention occurs amidst severe tensions between Washington and Tehran over the treatment of civilians engaged in widespread unrest.
The Iranian security forces have reportedly initiated a harsh campaign to suppress the ongoing demonstrations, which began on December 28. A US-based human rights activist news agency claims the resulting death toll is tragically high. The organization alleges that at least 1,847 protestors have been killed since the protests began, warning that the actual number may be significantly higher than confirmed reports.
The strong encouragement from Trump elicited an immediate and fiery response from a senior Iranian official. Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a key advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, took to X (formerly Twitter) to name those he holds responsible for the violence. Larijani specifically wrote, “We announce the names of the killers of the Iranian people: The first name is Trump and the second is Netanyahu.”
This is reportedly not the first time Larijani has publicly challenged Trump over the protests. Earlier, on January 2, Trump had warned that if Iran “killed or tortured peaceful protestors, as is their custom, America would come to their aid.” Larijani had responded by warning Trump that US interference in what he deemed an “internal matter” would lead to destabilization of the entire region and damage US interests.
Source: BBC Urdu