Iran’s top leader has admitted that thousands of people died during last week nationwide rallies which is an extraordinary confession from Iran’s top authority coming as the country continues to attack the US and former president Donald Trump.
In a televised address by the state run media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests “have caused heavy human losses” and for the first time estimated the number of dead to be in the thousands.
Iranian government estimates have been much lower while international human rights organizations have long maintained a number much higher than the one the Tehran leadership is willing to accept.
Khamenei portrayed the rallies as a foreign conspiracy aimed at threatening the Iranian government.
He also reiterated the Iranian government’s claim that the United States and its allies had urged the protesters to use violence.
In this regard Khamenei specifically targeted President Trump and labeled him a criminal accusing the US of responsibility for the shedding of Iranian blood via sanctioning and political meddling.
The protests broke out in response to a sudden economic shock compounding years of inflation, joblessness and declining living standards.
Demonstrations first convulsed major cities and then spread to smaller towns roping in a broad cross section of students, workers and pensioners.
Security forces responded with mass arrests and the use of live ammunition according to eyewitness accounts and human rights organizations.
Iran’s leadership has consistently denied those reports maintaining that security forces showed restraint and that many deaths were due to rioters or foreign agents.
Khamenei admission that thousands died is a very significant change in tone even as he stopped short of accepting state responsibility or any hint toward accountability.
Trump’s administration waged a campaign of maximum pressure against Iran withdrawing from the nuclear deal and imposing sweeping sanctions that sharply curtailed oil exports and access to foreign currency.
Iranian officials often tie the nation’s economic pain to those measures arguing they have fueled public outrage and unrest.
Trump has defended the sanctions as necessary to stem Iran regional influence and its nuclear ambitions.
The renewed rhetoric comes as Iran is feeling the strain of continued economic duress. Inflation remains high, the currency is weak and unemployment among its youth is high.
Protests have slowed dramatically but sporadic demonstrations and strikes continue to show that discontent is still entrenched.
Analysts say the challenge for the leadership is how to mix repression with extremely limited concessions to avoid another nationwide eruption.
Khamenei concluded his remarks with a warning that any future unrest would be met with a decisive response firm in the belief that dissent associated with foreign powers would not be tolerated.
The clear message was that while the leadership may now concede how many died it has no intention of revisiting how or why it happened.
