US President Donald Trump has called for an end to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 37-year-old rule.

Trump told an American news outlet that it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran, following weeks of protests against the Islamic Republic.

He said that Iran’s leadership relies on repression and violence to run the country. He blamed Khamenei for the destruction of the country and for using unprecedented levels of violence.

Trump said, in order to keep the country functioning the leadership should focus on running the country properly, and not killing people by the thousands in order to keep control.

Trump’s remarks come after Khamenei vowed to punish protesters, calling them seditionists and blaming Trump for casualties. Iranian authorities labeled the protests as terrorist acts and claimed they were part of a US conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Iran has returned to a tense calm following a severe crackdown on protests that erupted on December 28 over the country’s struggling economy.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that the repression has resulted in 3,095 deaths.

During the unrest, authorities cut off all internet access, though text messaging and limited online services have since resumed in some areas for short periods.