It's time to look for new leadership in Iran, Trump said

Iran's supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday blamed US President Donald Trump for weeks of protests in the country, which human rights organizations say have claimed more than 3,000 lives.

"We consider the US president a criminal responsible for the casualties, damage, and slander he has caused the Iranian people," state media quoted Khamenei as saying. The protests broke out on December 28 over the deteriorating economic situation and quickly escalated into mass demonstrations demanding an end to the clerical regime in Iran.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly threatened intervention, including "very harsh measures," if Tehran began executing protesters. On Friday, however, he thanked Iranian leaders on social media, saying that, in his opinion, they had stopped the mass executions. Iran rejected these claims, stating that "there is no plan to hang people."

Khamenei responded by saying that Iran does not want war, but "will not allow domestic or foreign criminals to go unpunished."

In an interview with Politico, Trump said that "it is time to look for new leadership in Iran" and called for an end to Khamenei's 37-year rule. At the same time, he told Reuters that opposition politician Reza Pahlavi is making a favorable impression, but he is not sure about his support directly in Iran.

(reuters, est)