‘You are going to wake up dead': Graham's fiery message to Khamenei, warns of Trump's intervention amid Iran protests

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham sent out a fiery message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming that United States President Donald Trump would “kill” him and other leaders of the Iranian regime if they continued to inflict harm on their citizens. He added that Trump is not former President Barack Obama.

The remarks came as protests spread across multiple Iranian provinces, driven by economic distress, rising inflation, and widespread public outrage over government policies.

What did Graham say?

In a Fox News interview on Tuesday night, Graham expressed his support for the protestors in Iran, who have been protesting against the current regime. He addressed "the Ayatollah," cautioning him that US intervention in the region could lead to his death if he doesn't stop killing and terrorising people of Iran.

"To the People of Iran, we stand with you tonight. We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, who kills you and terrorises the world. We pray for you. We support you. Donald J Trump is not Barack Obama. He has your back," Graham told Fox News.

He added, "To the Ayatollah: you need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J Trump is going to kill you. To the Ayatollah and his thugs: if you keep killing your people in defiance of President Trump, you are going to wake up dead," he added.

His comments come amid rising tensions following Trump’s warning of potential US intervention during the protests in Iran, in which he said that Washington was "locked and loaded" to act if authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran use violence against peaceful demonstrators.

On Truth Social, Trump posted, “If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! [sic]”

Meanwhile, Iranians continue to take to the streets to protest rising prices and economic hardship, with demonstrations spreading across several provinces. Some of these protests have escalated into deadly clashes with security forces, reported CNN.

According to reports, protesters confronted police, threw stones, and set vehicles on fire.

The rhetoric from the MAGA crowd has ramped up following an event in which the US carried out what it described as a “large‑scale strike” in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Saturday, during which it says it captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Maduro and Flores have been charged in the Southern District of New York with alleged “drug trafficking and narco‑terrorism conspiracies” and are now facing trial.

Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Vice President under Maduro, then officially assumed the role of Venezuela’s acting president.

Graham also cautioned Cuba’s leadership, saying “help is on the way” to the people there, following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s concern about the country after Maduro’s capture.