Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has likened recent nationwide anti-government protests to a “coup” and warned that any US military attack on Iran would trigger a regional war, amid rising tensions following Washington’s increased military presence in the Middle East.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday likened recent nationwide anti-government protests to a “coup” and warned that any US military attack on the Islamic republic would trigger a regional war, amid rising tensions following Washington’s expanded military presence in the Middle East.
Speaking at his compound in Tehran during commemorations marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei urged Iranians not to be intimidated by threats from US President Donald Trump. “The Americans must know that if they wage a war this time, it will be a regional war,” he said, adding that Iran would respond forcefully to any aggression.
US military deployment raises tensions
Khamenei’s remarks come after Trump ordered the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group to the Arabian Sea, following Iran’s deadly crackdown on protests that erupted late last year.
The demonstrations began over rising living costs and the collapse of the rial but soon evolved into a broader challenge to Iran’s leadership. Iranian authorities have described the unrest as “riots” allegedly orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
Protests likened to ‘sedition’ and coup attempt
Hardening his stance, Khamenei described the protests as “sedition” and compared them to a coup attempt. “Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centres involved in running the country,” he said, accusing protesters of attacking police stations, government buildings, Revolutionary Guard facilities, banks, and mosques, and of burning copies of the Quran.
Strait of Hormuz drills add to fears of escalation
While Trump has repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate, particularly over its nuclear programme, he has also threatened military action if Tehran continues its crackdown.
Concerns over a wider conflict have grown as Iran planned live-fire military drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes. The US military has warned Iran against threatening American forces or disrupting commercial shipping.
Heavy toll from crackdown
Human rights groups say the crackdown has been severe. The US-based Human Rights Activists New Agency reported that more than 49,500 people have been detained and at least 6,713 killed, mostly demonstrators. These figures could not be independently verified, as Iranian authorities have largely cut off internet access.
Tehran has acknowledged a much lower death toll of 3,117, including civilians and security personnel, describing the remaining deaths as those of “terrorists”.
Deadliest unrest in decades
The scale of the violence marks the deadliest unrest Iran has witnessed in decades, drawing comparisons with the turmoil surrounding the 1979 revolution and heightening concerns over further instability in the region.
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