Iran protests kill thousands, official says

At least 5,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official in the region said, citing verified figures and accusing "terrorists and armed rioters" of killing "innocent Iranians."

Nationwide protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule - resulting in the deadliest unrest since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed. In a social media post, he thanked Tehran's leaders, saying they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people.

A day later, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a public speech branded Trump a "criminal" for the casualties he inflicted on Iran by supporting protesters.

"We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished," Khamenei said, acknowledging "several thousand deaths" that he blamed on "terrorists and rioters" linked to the U.S. and Israel.

Iran's judiciary indicated that executions may go ahead.

"A series of actions have been identified as Moharebe, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments," Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told a press conference.

Moharebe, an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, is punishable by death under Iranian law.

Trump said in an interview with Politico: "it's time to look for new leadership in Iran."

U.S.-based rights group HRANA said the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. It said it had confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.

The clerical establishment regularly blames unrest on foreign enemies, including the U.S. and Israel, an arch foe of the Islamic Republic which launched military strikes in June.

The violent crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests, according to residents and state media.

One resident in Tehran said he had witnessed riot police directly shooting at a group of protesters, who were mostly young men and women. Videos circulating on social media have shown security forces violently cracking down on demonstrations across the country.