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New Delhi: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a strong warning to the United States on Friday as nationwide protests driven by economic hardship entered a second week and expanded across dozens of cities and towns.
Speaking during a public interaction with supporters, in remarks carried by Iranian state media, Khamenei accused Washington of orchestrating the unrest and claimed that rulers who govern with arrogance are destined to collapse. He also amplified his message through a series of posts on X.
Referring directly to Donald Trump, Khamenei invoked historical figures whom he described as tyrants brought down at the height of their power.
"The US president who judges arrogantly about the whole world should know that tyrants and arrogant rulers of the world, such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Mohammad Reza [Pahlavi] and other such rulers saw their downfall when they were at the peak of their hubris," he said. "He too will fall."
The remarks came as protests, initially sparked by Iran’s worsening economic crisis, spread into new regions. Demonstrations have featured chants against the political leadership, confrontations with security forces and, in several areas, forceful responses by authorities.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it was closely monitoring the situation, noting that around 10,000 Indian nationals and people of Indian origin live in Iran.
In his address, Khamenei repeatedly blamed the United States for encouraging unrest, alleging that some protesters were acting to gain Washington’s approval rather than out of genuine grievance.
"There are also those whose work is destruction," he said, referring to reported vandalism in Tehran and other cities. "Last night in Tehran, and in some other places, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building belonging to their own country."
He claimed such acts were meant to please the US president, dismissing Trump’s statements as “irrelevant nonsense”.
"These people have their hopes pinned on him," Khamenei said. "If he can, let him manage his own country. In his own country, various incidents are occurring."
He added that Iranians would reject anyone he described as acting on behalf of foreign powers.
"Our nation does not tolerate mercenaryism for foreigners," he said. "Whoever you may be, once you become a mercenary for a foreigner, once you work for a foreigner, the nation considers you rejected."
Trump, meanwhile, has issued repeated warnings to Tehran. In interviews with Fox News and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, he said Washington would respond forcefully if Iranian authorities used lethal force against demonstrators.
"If they do anything bad to these people, we're going to hit them very hard," Trump said, adding that "the enthusiasm to overturn the regime has been incredible".
Iranian officials have accused Washington of interference and warned that any US involvement could trigger retaliation, including against American forces in the region.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, protest activity has increased since January 7, with authorities intensifying crackdowns, including deploying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ground forces in at least one province. Rights groups report dozens of deaths, though casualty figures remain disputed.
The unrest is rooted in deep economic distress. Years of US and European sanctions linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, compounded by regional conflict, have battered the economy. The rial has lost about half its value against the dollar in 2025, while inflation exceeded 42 per cent in December. Protests that began with merchants angry over currency collapse have since spread to universities and cities nationwide
