Iran: Khamenei holds Trump 'guilty' for deaths in protests

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The Reuters news agency has cited an Iranian official with information that authorities had verified at least 5,000 people killed in protests, including around 500 security personnel.

The official — who Reuters said did not want to be named — said the highest number of deaths took place in Iranian Kurdish areas in northwest Iran.

"The final ​toll ​is not expected to increase sharply," the official said, adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped those taking to the streets.

No exact death toll has been provided by Iranian officials, but Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported that 3,428 people were verified to have been killed by security forces.

IHR warned the actual toll could be several times higher.

On Saturday Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on branded US President Donald Trump a “criminal” for backing protesters in Iran and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths.

We're pausing our live coverage for now and will be back with the latest developments tomorrow.

The eldest son of the last shah, Reza Pahlavi, said Iran's regime is on its "last legs" and called on countries to take action in support of demonstrators. 

DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl spoke to Iran's exiled former crown prince, who said Europe should take action to speed up the collapse of Iran's theocratic regime.

Iran's regime has been cracking down on protesters with brutal force. Images of bodies in shrouds have provoked shock and outrage around the world — including among five Iranian women living in Germany.

DW spoke to five Iranian women living in Germany about how they see the protest movement and its potential impact.

A government crackdown has quelled protests after thousands of protesters were killed or injured. But the crisis has only been ‘postponed’, says Middle East expert Fawaz Gerges in an interview with DW.

Since Saturday, Iranians have been able to send text messages via mobile phone within the country after several days of blockages following mass anti-government protests.

However, the blackout on global internet access remains in force, and Iranians can only access state-controlled websites via the national intranet.

Telecommunications have been largely down in Iran since authorities imposed a blockade on January 8 due to the protests. 

There are growing concerns that the global internet could remain blocked in Iran for a long time.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused US President Donald Trump of being responsible for "casualties" during protests in Iran that were met with a deadly crackdown. 

According to human rights groups, more than 3,000 people have been killed.

"We hold the American president guilty for the casualties, damages and accusations he has levelled against the Iranian nation," he told a crowd of supporters on Saturday during an address marking a religious holiday.

"This was an American conspiracy," Khamenei said, adding that "America's goal is to swallow Iran... the goal is to put Iran back under military, political and economic domination," he added.

During the protests, Trump repeatedly suggested that the US might take military action against Iran if its government triggered widespread killings. Those protests have since died down.

Thank you for joining us as we bring you the latest updates on the situation in Iran, where anti-government protests have recently swept the country.

On Saturday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused US President Donald Trump of being responsible for the casualties during the wave of protests.

Human rights activists said that more than 3,000 people have died in nationwide protests in Iran.

Follow along as DW brings you the latest on Iran.