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17 Jan 2026, 13:48

Khamenei confirmed the killing of several thousand people
The leader of the Islamic Republic says he does not intend to lead the country into war, but will not let "internal criminals" go free. Ali Khamenei also acknowledged the killing of "several thousand people" during widespread protests across Iran.

In a public speech on Saturday, January 27, Khamenei referred to the widespread protests in Iran as an "American sedition" and emphasized that "America must be held accountable," claiming to have suppressed it. He stated: "We do not intend to lead the country into war, but we will not let internal criminals go free."
Earlier, on January 23, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, warned that if the Islamic Republic carried out its threats to execute detained protesters, it would face "very serious consequences" from the United States. The following day, he announced that he had learned Iran had canceled the execution orders and that the killing of protesters had stopped.
Mr. Trump also wrote on Friday evening: "I greatly appreciate the fact that all planned executions, which were supposed to take place yesterday (over 800 cases), have been canceled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!"

In his remarks today, the leader of the Islamic Republic also described a group of protesters as those who had no connection with Israel and intelligence services but were "excited by lies," adding: "This group also killed several thousand people."
This is the first time the Iranian government has acknowledged the killing of "several thousand people," although it makes no mention of the role of government agents in the killing of protesters. Previously, Abbas Araqchi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic, had stated that the number of casualties was "only a few hundred" and attributed it to "armed terrorists."

In another part of his speech, the leader of the Islamic Republic warned political factions within the country that he would not allow insults to be directed at "the heads of the country, the president, and others in such important international and domestic conditions."
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