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Iran protests LIVE: U.S. to blame for 'violent' protests, Iran's ambassador tells UN
Iran protests LIVE: Khamenei signals upcoming crackdown on protesters 'ruining their own streets' for Trump
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump as having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians” as his supporters shouted “Death to America!” in footage aired by Iranian State television.
Protesters are “ruining their own streets, to please the President of the United States,” the 86-year-old Mr. Khamenei said to a crowd at his compound in Tehran.
He added, “Because he said that he would come to their aid. He should pay attention to the State of his own country instead.” He said Iran's Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei separately vowed that punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.”
-AP
The United States on Friday (January 9, 2026) said that Iran's Foreign Minister was “delusional” after he accused Israel and Washington of fuelling the protests that have swept the Islamic republic.
“This statement reflects a delusional attempt to deflect from the massive challenges the Iranian regime faces at home,” a US State Department spokesperson said in response to the comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon.
- AFP
Iran's UN ambassador blames the U.S. for turning peaceful protests into violence, citing interference and destabilizing actions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday (January 9, 2026) that Iran, faced with major protests, was in “big trouble” and again warned he could order military strikes.
“Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Mr. Trump said.
Asked on his message to Iran's leaders, Mr. Trump said, “You better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too.” “That doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
- AFP
U.S. President Donald Trump is treading carefully around the issue of mass protests in Iran amid some U.S. predictions that the unrest may not be widespread enough to challenge Tehran's clerical establishment.
In recent days, Mr. Trump has warned Iranian leaders that there will be “hell to pay” if they crack down on the protest movement but has otherwise adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
“I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots … we're going to hit them very hard,” Mr. Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday (January 8).
Human rights groups have alleged that security forces have killed and injured numerous protesters.
But in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday (January 8), Mr. Trump only referred to demonstrators being “stomped on” in huge crowds and security forces “shooting the hell out of people” in the past.
The U.S. President said he was not inclined now to meet Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the late Shah of Iran, a sign that he was waiting to see how the crisis plays out before backing an Opposition leader.
- Reuters
Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi on Friday (January 9, 2026) warned security forces in the Islamic republic could be preparing to commit a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout” after imposing a nationwide internet shutdown.
The internet shutdown is “not a technical failure... it is a tactic”, the veteran campaigner, who now lives in exile, said on her official Telegram account.
She said she had received information that hundreds of people had been taken to a Tehran hospital on Thursday (January 8) with “severe eye injuries” caused by pellet gun fire.
- AFP
An internet blackout implemented by the Iranian authorities during major protests has now lasted 24 hours, internet freedom monitor Netblocks said on Friday (January 9, 2026).
“It has now been 24 hours since Iran implemented a nationwide internet shutdown, with connectivity flatlining at 1% of ordinary levels,” the organisation said in a post on X.
- AFP
The son of the ousted Shah, U.S.-based Reza Pahlavi said in a tweet, addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, “I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers. Last night they did that... The people will be on the streets again in an hour. I am asking you to help.”
Activists said on Friday (January 9, 2026) that the death toll in nationwide protests in Iran jumped to at least 62.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency offered the toll. Its figures have been accurate in previous round of violence in demonstrations in Iran.
It said there have been at least 2,300 arrests during the protests.- AP
Iran's Foreign Minister accused the United States and Israel on Friday (January 9, 2026) of fuelling a growing protest movement in the country, while dismissing the possibility of direct foreign military intervention after U.S. warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.
“This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon.
“They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones,” he said, adding that “regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures”- AFP
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday (January 9, 2026) the response of the Iranian security forces to protests is “disproportionate” and added that any violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable.
“Shutting down the internet while violently suppressing protests exposes a regime afraid of its own people,” Ms. Kallas said on social media platform X. - Reuters
Iran's judiciary chief vowed on Friday (January 9, 2026) that punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.” The comment, reported by Iranian state television, came from Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei.
It further signalled a crackdown against demonstrators as Iran's government has shut down the internet and telephone calls from abroad.-AP
At least 17 flights between Dubai and Iranian cities including Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad scheduled for Friday (January 9, 2026) and operated by flydubai have been cancelled, the Dubai Airports website showed.
The website did not provide a reason for the cancellations, but a countrywide internet blackout was reported in Iran on Thursday (January 8) and extended into Friday (January 9) as authorities moved to curb expanding protests.-- Reuters
The Consulate General of Iran in Hyderabad stated that the situation in Iran remains stable and fully under control, asserting that there is no threat to Indian citizens residing in or visiting the country, as per an official release.In a statement, the Consulate General said all necessary measures are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all foreign nationals, including Indian citizens.-- ANI
Iran's Supreme Leader urged Iranians to preserve unity. He said there are “some rioters” who wants to please U.S. President by damaging public properties. Protesters are 'ruining their own streets to make the President of another country happy,' he said referring to Mr. Trump.
Iran faces internet blackout as Ayatollah Khamenei blames protesters for unrest, citing foreign influence amid escalating tensions.
-- AP
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will give a speech shortly on “the terrorist actions” in the country, Iranian State TV reported on Friday (January 9, 2026), as protests over economic hardships continued around the country.
- Reuters
anti-regime protests in Iran.jpg
Iranian State media has accused “terrorist agents” of the U.S. and Israel of setting fires and sparking violence during recent demonstrations.
The brief report buried in State TV's 8 a.m. broadcast represented the first official word about the demonstrations. It claimed the protests saw violence that caused casualties but did not elaborate.
It also said the protests saw “people's private cars, motorcycles, public places such as the metro, fire trucks and buses set on fire.”
- AP
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has issued a sharp warning to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying President Donald Trump could resort to lethal action if the Iranian authorities continue to kill or injure protesters.
He also said that Mr. Khamenei was a “religious Nazi who kills his own people and terrorises the world”. Mr. Graham said, “We stand for you taking your country back from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills his own people and terrorises the world.”
Turning his remarks directly toward Iran's leadership, the U.S. Senator warned, “If you keep killing your people who are just asking for a new and better life, then it will be Donald J. Trump's killing.” He also sought to reassure protesters, saying, “Help is on the way.”
- ANI
President Donald Trump on Thursday (January 8, 2026) warned Iran's Government against harming protesters, stating that the United States would intervene if innocent people were killed amid the ongoing demonstrations in the Middle Eastern country.During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Mr. Trump said, “If they do anything bad to these people, we're going to hit them very hard,” reiterating a similar warning he had issued on social media last week.
Commenting on the scale of the unrest, he added that “the enthusiasm to overturn the regime has been incredible.”
- ANI
Prominent Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad has urged the international community to support ongoing protests in Iran, saying the demands of the Iranian people are unequivocal as demonstrations enter their twelfth day.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly, Twitter), Alinejad referred to the continuing protests and her appearance on Fox News, stating, “On the Fox News network @FoxNews and on the twelfth day of the Iranian people's protests: The message of the Iranian people is clear. The people do not want this regime and will never allow the reformists to take power.”
- ANI
U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance on Thursday (January 8, 2026) reiterated support for the Iranian people, saying that the United States stands by anybody who is engaged in peaceful protests and trying to exert their rights for free association.
While addressing presspersons at the White House, V-P Vance said that the United States would stand by the citizens of Iran. When asked if the U.S. would take part if Israel decides to strike the nuclear sites in Iran, the U.S. Vice-President said that the United States would stand by anybody who is engaged in peaceful protests and that the “smartest thing” for Iran to have negotiations with the United States on its nuclear programme.
“We certainly stand by anybody who's engaged in peaceful protests, anybody who's trying to exert their rights for free association and to have their voices heard. Obviously, the Iranian regime has a lot of problems, and as the President of the United States has said, the smartest thing for them to have done, it was true two months ago, it's true today is for them to actually have a real negotiation with the United States about what we need to see when it comes to their nuclear program. I'll let the President speak to what we're going to do in the future, but we certainly stand with anybody across the world, including the Iranian people, who are advocating for their rights,” Mr. Vance said.
-ANI
The protests in Iran first began on December 28, 2025, in the bazaar of Tehran over the plunging value of the currency and soaring inflation, the biggest wave of dissent in three years.
Over 12 days, the protests spread nationwide amid deepening distress over rocketing inflation driven by mismanagement and Western sanctions, and curbs on political and social freedoms.
Iranian authorities have acknowledged the economic hardships facing Iranians, but accused networks linked to foreign powers of stoking the protests.
Iran's top judge warned protesters on Wednesday there would be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic.”
- Reuters
Iran's economy is facing high inflation and other challenges, partly due to U.S. sanctions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday (January 8, 2026), underscoring Washington's concerns about Tehran cracking down violently on anti-regime protests.
“The Iranian economy is on the ropes,” Mr. Bessent told the Economic Club of Minnesota, underscoring President Donald Trump's warning to Tehran to avoid harming protesters.
“It's a very precarious moment. He does not want them to harm more of the protesters. This is a tense moment,” the U.S. Treasury secretary said, referring to Mr. Trump's threat to hit Tehran if it began killing protesters.
- Reuters
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah ousted by the 1979 Islamic revolution and a key exiled Opposition figure, urged major new protests on Thursday (January 8, 2026).
Before the blackout, he warned that the “frightened” authorities could cut internet access to prevent information filtering out.
The call for mass demonstration by Crown Prince Pahlavi came after twelve days of protests in the country over its ailing economy.
- AFP
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “utmost restraint” in handling demonstrations, saying “any violent or coercive behaviour should be avoided”.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, meanwhile, condemned the “excessive use of force” against protesters.
With the protests now spreading across Iran, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said rallies had taken place in 348 locations in all of Iran's 31 provinces.
- AFP
Raising its own toll based on verified deaths, a Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said security forces had killed at least 45 protesters, including eight minors.
The NGO said Wednesday (January 7, 2026) was the bloodiest day since the demonstrations began, with 13 protesters confirmed to have been killed.
“The evidence shows that the scope of the crackdown is becoming more violent and more extensive every day,” said IHR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, adding hundreds more have been wounded and more than 2,000 arrested.
- AFP
Protesters in Tehran massed on a key avenue in the northwest of the Iranian capital on Thursday (January 8, 2026) in a major protest that is part of a nationwide movement sparked by anger over Iran's ailing economy.
The escalation in Tehran were confirmed via images on social media by AFP.
Crowds of people, as well vehicles honking in support, filled a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard, images from Tehran showed.
Persian language TV channels based outside Iran and other social media outlets posted images of significant protests in other cities, including Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Mashhad in the east.
- AFP
Amid a fresh wave of escalation in Iran protests, rights groups accused Iranian security forces of shooting at demonstrators as the death toll mounted on Thursday (January 8, 2026).
This is the latest development amid a crackdown on economic protests as a watchdog reported an internet blackout across the Islamic republic.
So far, at least 39 people have been killed, while more than 2,260 others have been detained, as per the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- AP, AFP
Iran experiences a nationwide internet blackout amid escalating protests, as authorities crack down on demonstrators and communication.
Published - January 09, 2026 01:53 am IST
Iran / World / Live news / USA / Donald Trump / economy, business and finance / violation of law
Source: TheHindu
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