Top Iranian Cleric Demands Execution of Protesters, Threatens Trump

A powerful hard-line cleric in Iran has publicly called for detained protesters to receive the death penalty. His demands come as the country shows an uneasy calm following a violent government crackdown on widespread demonstrations. The cleric, Ahmad Khatami, made the statements during a Friday sermon in Tehran. He argued that the protesters were "enemies of God" whose punishment under Islamic law should be execution. In the same speech, Khatami also directly threatened U.S. President Donald Trump. He warned that Iran would retaliate for the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general earlier this year. There are no visible signs of new major street protests at this time. The earlier demonstrations were sparked by a sharp increase in government-set gasoline prices. The subsequent crackdown led to hundreds of reported deaths and thousands of arrests. International human rights groups continue to call for independent investigations into the violence.