In a rare moment of admission, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly acknowledged what human rights organisations have been documenting with mounting horror: the government's crackdown on nationwide protests has left thousands dead.
Yet in the same breath, Khamenei has levelled an extraordinary accusation at US President Donald Trump, blaming the American leader for the very bloodshed his government has unleashed. The admission, delivered during a speech on Saturday, marks a pivotal moment in a catastrophe that has been unfolding under a near-total internet blackout, rendering independent verification nearly impossible.
