Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that any attack on the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would amount to a declaration of war against Iran, as tensions with the United States intensify amid deadly nationwide protests.In a post on X on Sunday, Pezeshkian said Iran’s economic hardships were largely the result of “long-standing hostility and inhumane sanctions imposed by the US government and its allies”. He added: “Any affront to the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to an all-out war against the Iranian nation.”
His remarks come as Iran grapples with the fallout from weeks of unrest triggered by economic distress and broader political grievances. Iranian officials claim more than 5,000 people have been killed in the protests, including around 500 members of the security forces, blaming what they describe as “terrorists and armed rioters”. Human rights groups, however, estimate at least 3,000 protesters have died, warning the true toll may be significantly higher.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has, in a rare admission, acknowledged that “several thousand” people were killed during the unrest. In a televised address, he accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the protests and described US President Donald Trump as a “criminal” for supporting demonstrators. “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,” Khamenei said.Trump has responded by escalating his rhetoric, saying it was “time to look for new leadership” in Iran and accusing Khamenei of destroying the country through extreme violence. He claimed Tehran had halted planned executions of hundreds of detainees, though analysts have questioned that assertion.Meanwhile, Iranian authorities say calm is returning, with schools reopening and internet access gradually being restored after a prolonged communications blackout that rights groups say concealed a brutal crackdown. Iran’s judiciary has warned that those accused of leading violence could face swift trials and capital charges, even as international concern over executions continues to grow.
