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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 calls follow President Donald Trump’s threats of U.S. intervention if protesters were met with violence.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, which was broadcast by Iranian state radio, reportedly sparked chants from those gathered for prayers. The Associated Press reported that the chants included, “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!”
During his sermon, Khatami gave the first overall statistics of the damage from the protests, which began in late December, according to the AP. This information provides a look at the scale of the protests after the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout on Jan. 8.
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Iranian senior cleric Ahmad Khatami delivers his sermon during Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (Ebrahim Noroozi, File/AP Photo)
The cleric claimed 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles sustained damage.
Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders had also reportedly been damaged, the AP reported, adding that it could be a sign of demonstrators taking out their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within Iran’s theocracy.
“They want you to withdraw from religion,” Khatami said, according to the AP. “They planned these crimes from a long time ago.”
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
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Khatami, who was appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and serves on the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as being “butlers” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”
Khamenei made similar remarks, saying that the protesters were “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,” referring to Trump.
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
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Trump has been vocal in his support for the Iranian people and said early on that the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if the regime used violence against protesters. It is unclear if and when the U.S. will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has circulated following the bombing of the country’s nuclear sites in 2025 and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.