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Aggression towards Khamenei would lead to all-out war: Iran president's warning to the US
The Iranian president also blamed Washington for being responsible for the hardship faced by the Iranian people.
As the unrest in Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the United States to tread with caution. Taking to X on Sunday, the Iranian leader warned the US and stated that any aggression against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would lead to an all-out war.
The Iranian president also blamed Washington for being responsible for the hardship faced by the Iranian people. Follow LIVE updates on Iran protests here
"If the people of #Iran face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies," wrote Pezeshkian.
"Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation," he added further.
Pezeshkian's warning to the US comes after multiple remarks from President Donald Trump of a possible intervention in Tehran due to the widespread protests in the nation.
Last week, the US president told reporters that Iran had "crossed a red line" due to the violent crackdown on protestors.
"It looks like (the line has been crossed)... Some people, who were not supposed to be killed, have been killed... If you talk about leaders, I don't know if they are leaders or just rule through violence... But we and the military are looking at it very seriously, and we are looking at some very strong options," he was quoted as saying.
Iran has been rocked by mass protests since December. The protests, which were triggered by the surging inflation and decline of the rial, soon turned into nationwide demonstrations against the regime.
As per US-based Human Rights News Agency, nearly 4,000 people have been killed in the protests. As per an AP report, HRNA has been able to verify 3,919 deaths during the Iran protests. Furthermore, around 24,000 protestors have been arrested.
Officials continue to brace for a further rise in the death toll. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have not given a clear number as to how many people have been killed during the protests. On Saturday, Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead, and the Supreme Leader blamed the United States for the deaths.
