'Iran will not back down', 'Trump will be overthrown': Top quotes of Khamenei's speech

Accusing the protestors of trying to please Trump, Khamenei said, “They want to make him happy. If he knew how to run a country, he would run his own."

Updated on: Jan 9, 2026, 17:25:37 IST

By HT News Desk

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Amid the ongoing nation-wide protests, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the nation on Friday and indicated that crackdown on demonstrators would continue, as someone from the audience shouted “Death to America!”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump's hands are “stained with the blood of Iranians”. (File Photo/Reuters)

In the address which was aired by the state television, Khamenei said that protests were being held in Iran to make another country's President “happy”, in an apparent reference to United States President Donald Trump.

Track live updates of protests in Iran here.

Here's what Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said-

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US President on Friday and said, “As for that fellow (Trump) who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world, he should also know that usually, the despots and arrogant powers of the world--such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and the likes of them--were overthrown exactly when they were at the peak of their pride. This one will be overthrown as well,” reported news agency ANI.

Also read: Trump warns Iran of ‘very hard’ response if protesters are killed

Iran's supreme leader also said, “everyone should know that the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people, and it will not back down in the face of saboteurs", as reported by Iran International.

Also read: Anti-Khamenei protests flare in Iran, state media blames ‘terrorist agents’ of US, Israel for violence

Accusing the protestors of trying to please Trump, Khamenei said, “They want to make him happy. If he knew how to run a country, he would run his own."
He also referred to the 12-day war last year in June and said, “In the 12-day war, more than a thousand of our compatriots were martyred.” He added that when Trump said, “I gave the order and I commanded the attack,” it was an admission that his "hands are stained with the blood of Iranians”.
Urging the supporters of the Iranian regime to remain united, Khamenei said, “Dear young people, keep your readiness and your unity. A united nation will overcome any enemy."

The protests in Iran, which erupted on December 28 after Iran's currency rial touched record low against US dollar, have since spread nation-wide and also turned violent as at least 42 people have been killed while over 2,270 others have been detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

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HT News Desk
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