‘Attack on our leader Khamenei means full-scale war,’ Iran’s president warns US after Donald Trump remarks

‘An attack on our leader means full-scale war’

In a post on X, Pezeshkian said an attack on Khamenei would be treated as an attack on the Iranian nation itself. “An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation,” he said.

اگر سختی و تنگنایی در زندگی مردم عزیز #ایران وجود دارد، یکی از عوامل اصلی آن دشمنی دیرینه و تحریم‌های غیرانسانی دولت امریکا و هم‌پیمانان اوست.
تعرض به رهبری معظم کشورمان به‌منزله جنگ تمام عیار با ملت ایران است.

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) January 18, 2026

Pezeshkian also blamed the United States for the protests that have shaken Iran over the past two weeks. He said US sanctions had played a major role in Iran’s economic problems.

“If there are hardships in the lives of the dear people of Iran, one of the main causes is the longstanding hostility and inhumane sanctions imposed by the US government and its allies,” he said.

The comments followed remarks by Trump. In an interview with Politico on Saturday, Trump called for an end to Khamenei’s nearly 40-year rule, describing him as “a sick man” and accusing him of killing his own people.

‘Help is on its way’

The latest unrest in Iran began on 28 December, when anger over high prices, a weak currency and economic hardship spread from Tehran to cities across the country. What began as protests over living costs soon turned into wider demonstrations demanding the removal of the government.

As protests grew, Iranian authorities imposed a near-total shutdown of internet and phone services on 8 January. The move cut off much of Iran from the outside world and made it difficult to verify the scale of the unrest.

Last Tuesday, Trump publicly encouraged Iranians to continue protesting. He urged them to “take over your institutions” and said: “Help is on its way.” His comments came as reports suggested the US was close to launching military strikes on Iran.

On Wednesday, the US reportedly came close to ordering attacks but pulled back at the last moment. According to Axios, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned Trump that Israel was not ready for Iranian retaliation and questioned whether US strikes would be effective. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, also urged restraint, citing the risk to regional stability.

“It was really close,” a US official told Axios, adding that the order to strike was never given.

Trump later claimed that Iranian authorities had halted the planned execution of hundreds of prisoners, including Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester sentenced to death. Soltani was arrested in Karaj after taking part in protests. His family confirmed over the weekend that he was alive but said he had been tortured and denied medical care.

At least 5,000 people have been killed in the unrest, including around 500 members of the security forces, according to an Iranian official cited by Reuters. Rights groups say more than 24,000 protesters have been arrested.

In a speech last week, Khamenei acknowledged for the first time that thousands had died. He blamed the US for the violence and called Trump a “criminal” for backing the protests. He also called for harsh punishment for those involved.

On Sunday, internet monitoring group Netblocks said some online services had been partially restored. Streets across Iran remain quiet, but residents in several cities reported chanting anti-Khamenei slogans from their homes at night.