Trump threatens Iran over protester executions, Tehran names him ‘chief killer’

US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran against executing anti-government protesters, threatening “very strong action” as Tehran fired back by branding him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the “main killers” of the Iranian people.

With Iran gripped by its deadliest unrest in decades and more than 2,400 people reported killed in just two weeks, the exchange has sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran, drawing in Russia and the United Nations as fears of a wider confrontation grow.

Speaking to CBS News on January 13, Trump said the United States would not stand by if Iran began hanging protesters.

“I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said. “We will take very strong action if they do such a thing.”

The remarks came hours after Trump urged Iranians to “take over” government institutions in a social media post, declaring that all talks with Tehran had been cancelled over what he called the “senseless killing” of protesters. He also promised that “help is on its way,” without explaining what form it would take.

Tehran responded with fury.

Ali Larijani, Iran’s powerful former parliament speaker and now secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, accused Washington and Tel Aviv of orchestrating the unrest.
“We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran,” Larijani wrote on X. “1- Trump. 2- Netanyahu.”

Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, echoed the charge in a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing the United States and Israel of inciting violence and threatening Iran’s sovereignty. He said foreign interference had contributed to civilian deaths, particularly among young people.

Russia, Iran’s key ally, also weighed in, condemning what it called “subversive external interference” in Iran’s internal affairs. The Russian foreign ministry warned that using unrest as a pretext for new military strikes would have “disastrous consequences” for the Middle East and global security.

Meanwhile, the human toll inside Iran continues to mount.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says at least 2,403 protesters have been killed since demonstrations erupted, including 12 children, and more than 18,000 people have been arrested nationwide. Iranian state television has acknowledged deaths for the first time, quoting an official who said the country had “a lot of martyrs.”

The protests, now in their third week, were triggered by Iran’s deepening economic crisis but have since evolved into a direct challenge to the country’s theocratic leadership.

Trump has claimed that Iran is seeking to negotiate with Washington following his threat of military action, though Tehran has not confirmed any such outreach. With rhetoric hardening on both sides and blood continuing to be shed on Iranian streets, the standoff is rapidly turning into one of the most volatile flashpoints in an already fractured region.