Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any US military strike would ignite a regional war in the Middle East. The statement comes amid heightened tensions following President Donald Trump's threats against Iran over its crackdown on protests. Khamenei also labeled the demonstrations a coup, as Iran prepares military drills in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's 86-year-old supreme leader, issued a stark warning against potential US aggression. Speaking amid escalating tensions, he stated that any American attack would lead to a "regional war" in the Mideast. This follows President Trump's deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying warships to the Arabian Sea, a move prompted by Iran's violent suppression of nationwide protests.
The protests erupted on December 28, initially sparked by the collapse of Iran's rial currency, but quickly evolving into a broader challenge to Khamenei's authority. Khamenei described the unrest as "a coup" that had been suppressed, noting attacks on police stations, government centers, Revolutionary Guard facilities, banks, and mosques, including the burning of Quran copies. Tens of thousands have been detained, with seditious charges potentially carrying the death penalty—a concern that forms one of Trump's stated red lines for possible military action, alongside the killing of peaceful protesters.
Khamenei emphasized Iran's defensive stance: "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." Meanwhile, Iran scheduled live-fire military drills for Sunday and Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil trade. The US Central Command cautioned against any threats to American vessels or disruptions to commercial shipping.
In a related development, Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared all European Union militaries as terrorist groups, retaliating against the EU's designation of the Revolutionary Guard as a terror organization. Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, argued that the Guard has been Europe's bulwark against terrorism, accusing the EU of self-sabotage through deference to the US. Lawmakers at the session donned Guard uniforms and chanted "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!"
Trump, speaking on Saturday en route to Florida, indicated that Iran is "seriously talking" to the US about a nuclear deal to prevent weapon development, though no direct negotiations are publicly evident. Top Iranian official Ali Larijani noted progress in "structural arrangements for negotiations," despite Khamenei's prior rejections. This comes after a June war between Israel and Iran, during which the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, with recent activity suggesting salvage efforts.
