Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, talked about recent protests. He said many people died. This is the first time he said this. Khamenei blamed the USA and Israel. He called the USA president "criminal."
Protests began on December 28th. People were sad about the economy. Protests grew and were big. They were the biggest problems in Iran for years.
Groups say many people died. One group said 3,090 people died. They also said 22,000 people were arrested. Some groups think more people died. Police used force. Videos show the police actions. The government called protests "riots."
The government turned off the internet. This made it hard to share news. Khamenei said Israel and USA caused "damage." He said they made chaos.
People arrested may get big punishment. They might be accused of helping rioters. The government wants to stop more protests. The world is watching Iran.