Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, 18 January, that any attack on the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would mean a declaration of war.
In a post on the social media platform X, Pezeshkian said, “If the people of Iran face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies. Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation.”
Iranian President's warning comes a day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei held US President Trump responsible for causing casualties, damage, and slander on Iranians during the protests, and described him as a ‘criminal’ as the death toll in the nation crossed 3000, Reuters reported, citing records as per a rights group.
Khamenei also warned that although his government does not intend to lead the nation toward war, it will not allow domestic or international criminals to go unpunished. He alleged that ‘those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand’ during the protests.
Chaos in Iran
Iran is witnessing significant anti-government protests calling for the removal of Ayatollah Khamenei's government, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. Some reports also noted a "very slight rise" in internet activity after an eight-day blackout.
"The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the US President personally became involved," Iranian media quoted Khamenei as saying, reported Reuters.
US threatens ‘action’
US warned to initiate ‘military action’ if Iran used force against protesters. Trump announced that he cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials in response to the ongoing crackdown on protests in the country, claiming that ‘help is on the way.’
Previously, Khamenei sharply criticized Trump, telling him to ‘manage his own country' as the President repeatedly threatened to “hit very, very hard.'
"As for that fellow (Trump) who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world, he should also know that usually, the despots and arrogant powers of the world--such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and the likes of them--were overthrown exactly when they were at the peak of their pride. This one will be overthrown as well," AP quoted Khamenei.
