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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran's supreme leader warned the United States on Sunday that if "they start a war, this time it will be a regional war". The comments from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most-direct threat he's made so far. Iranian state television reported the comments online. It added that Khamenei said: "We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.
Iranian officials signaled on Wednesday that fast trials and executions lay ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests, while the Islamic Republic promised retaliation if the US or Israel intervenes in the domestic unrest. The threats emerged as some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate, even as President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements in a span of 24 hours that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran. In comments to reporters, the Republican president said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that help is on the way and that his administration would act accordingly to respond to the Islamic Republic's deadly crackdown. We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping it's stopped it's stopping, Trump said at the White House while signing executive orders and legislation.
Iran's supreme leader insisted Saturday that rioters must be put in their place after a week of protests that have shaken the Islamic Republic, likely giving security forces a green light to aggressively put down the demonstrations. The first comments by 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei come as violence surrounding the demonstrations sparked by Iran's ailing economy has killed at least 10 people. The protests show no sign of stopping and follow US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran on Friday that if Tehran violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their rescue. While it remains unclear how and if Trump will intervene, his comments sparked an immediate, angry response, with officials within the theocracy threatening to target American troops in the Mideast. They also take on new importance after Trump said Saturday that the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran. The protests have become the biggest in Ira
Following Washington's escalating pressure campaign against Venezuela and its government, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday took a sharp swipe at the United States, accusing it of pursuing "territorial expansionism" in parts of Latin America while speaking about global resistance to foreign pressure.In a post on X, Khamenei wrote "withstanding enemy pressures is Resistance," adding that such pressure may take different forms, including expansionist goals or attempts to influence cultural and social identity."Withstanding enemy pressures is Resistance. The goal of such pressure may be territorial expansionism - like what the US is now doing in some Latin American countries - or it may involve cultural & religious matters, or pressure to change people's lifestyles & their identities," Khamenei stated in his post.The remarks by Iran's supreme leader were in reference to Washington's increased pressure tactics over South America, particularly Venezuela ..
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed veteran politician Ali Larijani as the new secretary for the country's highest security body, the Supreme National Security Council, state media reported on Tuesday. The decree, reported by the state-run IRNA news agency, marks Larijani's return to a post he previously held for two years from 2005 to 2007. He replaces Gen. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who had been in the role since 2023 Larijani, 67, a moderate conservative, has served as an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent years. Khamenei holds the final say on all state matters in the country. He also served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020, when Pezeshkian worked as his deputy. The appointment is seen as a sign that Iran's theocracy is seeking to shift from a hardline course toward a more moderate one. It came a day after Iran announced the creation of a new defence council to handle defensive plans and improve the armed forces' capabilities, following att