Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday praised mass pro-government rallies across the country, calling them a “warning to American politicians,” as a rights group said the death toll from the crackdown on anti-government protests had risen to at least 648.
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei congratulated participants in the rallies, saying they had “done a great job” and had thwarted what he described as a plan by “foreign enemies” carried out through “domestic mercenaries.”
“The great nation of Iran showcased itself, along with its determination and identity, to its enemies,” Khamenei wrote. “This was a warning to American politicians to stop their deceptions and not rely on treacherous mercenaries.”
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said at least 648 people had been killed in what it described as a violent crackdown on weeks of nationwide protests. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that Iran had sought negotiations with Washington after he threatened possible military action in response to the crackdown. Iran did not immediately comment on Trump’s remarks, which followed a weekend visit to Tehran by Oman’s foreign minister, whose country has long acted as a mediator between the United States and Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told foreign diplomats in Tehran that the situation was “under total control,” blaming Israel and the United States for the violence without providing evidence.
“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody, to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Araghchi said, according to comments carried by Al Jazeera.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, saying: “I condemn the state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights.”
“Respect for fundamental freedoms is a universal requirement, and we stand alongside those who defend them,” Macron said.
Iran has been rocked by protests since late December, initially triggered by economic grievances before broadening into a wider challenge to the country’s clerical leadership.
