An Iranian cleric has called for the death penalty for protesters detained during a nationwide crackdown amid ongoing unrest against the Islamic regime.
The cleric’s call follows President Donald Trump’s threats of US intervention if protesters are confronted with violence.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, which was broadcast by Iran’s state radio, reportedly sparked chants from those gathered for prayers. The Associated Press reported that chants included: “Armed hypocrites must be put to death!”
During his sermon, Khatami gave the first overall statistics of damage from the protests, which began in late December, according to the AP. This information gives an idea of the scale of the protests after the regime imposed a nationwide internet blackout on January 8.
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Iranian senior cleric Ahmad Khatami delivers his sermon during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January 5, 2018. (Ebrahim Noroozi, file/AP photo)
The cleric claimed that 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy sites were damaged, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire engines and another 50 emergency vehicles suffered damage.
Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders were also reportedly damaged, the AP reported, adding that this could be a sign that protesters are expressing their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within the Iranian theocracy.
“They want you to withdraw from the religion,” Khatami said, according to the AP. “They planned these crimes a long time ago.”
In this frame shot from a video obtained by the AP, a masked protester holds a photo of Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
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Khatami, appointed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a member of the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as “butlers” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”
Khamenei made similar comments, saying the protesters were “destroying their own streets to make the president of another country happy,” referring to Trump.
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
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Trump has been outspoken in his support for the Iranian people, saying early on that the US was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if the regime used force against protesters. It is unclear if or when the US will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has swirled following the bombing of the country’s nuclear sites in 2025 and the US capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
