Le Figaro reports that, according to multiple sources it interviewed, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was targeted by an “internal offensive” aimed at pushing him aside, allegedly driven by former President Hassan Rouhani, just before the repression began on the night of Jan. 8–9, when protests were at their peak.

The claim lands amid an unprecedented crackdown. Reports from inside Iran describe mass arrests and lethal force; AP notes Jan. 8–9 as the deadliest days of the repression, with rights groups citing thousands killed while the regime issued far lower figures. Le Monde also reported nationwide internet shutdowns and open chants of “death to Khamenei” as the demonstrations surged.