Iran’s Supreme Leader has launched a furious attack against Donald Trump as fears over World War 3 explode. In a furious outburst, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he holds the US President responsible for the “casualties, damages and slander he has levelled against the Iranian nation” during protests in his country.
It is the first time Iran’s Supreme Leader has broken his silence on the escalating situation on his Persian-language X account in recent days, and follows several warnings from Mr Trump amid fears the US could be close to launching deadly strikes on Iran.
Mr Trump spent days ramping up pressure on Tehran, warning that the United States would “not stand by” if Iran continued to violently suppress protesters. He has repeatedly said Washington was prepared to take “very strong action”, including military strikes, if peaceful demonstrators were killed – fuelling fears the crisis could spiral into a wider conflict.
The US President later claimed Iran had backed down from executing hundreds of detainees, thanking the regime for cancelling what he said were more than 800 planned hangings – comments widely seen as a signal he was holding off on immediate military action.
However, he insisted “all options remain on the table”, a stance Iranian officials have seized on as evidence of what they describe as American interference and provocation.
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the US and Israel of fuelling unrest inside the country, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claiming the protests were the result of what he called “American sedition” aimed at destabilising the Islamic Republic and weakening Iran from within.
Despite the fierce rhetoric, signs suggest the unrest inside Iran has eased in recent days, with no major demonstrations reported and daily life returning to relative normality in Tehran. Streets have reopened, shops are trading again and internet connectivity has shown a slight increase after days of near-total shutdown.
However, human rights groups say the scale of the crackdown has left deep scars, claiming more than 3,000 people were killed during the protests and subsequent repression. With tensions between Tehran and Washington still running high, analysts warn the situation remains volatile and could rapidly escalate again if either side hardens its stance.
Protests linked to the unrest have also spread beyond Iran’s borders, including violent disorder outside Iran’s embassy in London, where several police officers were injured and multiple arrests were made.
Demonstrations have taken place across United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey and Israel, as members of the Iranian diaspora call for international intervention and increased pressure on Tehran.
According to Iran International, new information suggests that the IRGC Quds Force and allied proxy forces played a central role in the deadly crackdown on protesters.
The outlet reported that at least 12,000 people were killed over two nights on January 8 and 9, citing official sources and medical data it said it had reviewed.
