Iran teeters on the brink as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lambasts anti-regime protesters for torching their own streets in a bid to delight President Trump. In a stark televised warning, he pledged unyielding resistance, blaming U.S.-linked exiles for fanning the flames of chaos that has claimed over 40 lives.
The uprising, fueled by economic meltdown and iron-fisted security tactics, has paralyzed cities. Pre-blackout videos revealed infernos engulfing vehicles and structures, with southern regions reporting police gunfire on demonstrators. Friday’s internet shutdown by officials aimed to quench the digital spread of dissent.
Khamenei’s address on state TV was unflinching: no backing down from ‘enemies within,’ orchestrated by opposition abroad and Washington. His vivid charge—’destroying your roads to please foreign presidents’—targets Trump’s vow of reprisal against protester violence.
Exiled Reza Pahlavi’s dual calls for 8 PM protests turbocharged the movement. Under President Pezeshkian, the government axed internet and phone links on January 8 as nights turned violent. Security and judiciary bosses issued dire threats amid ‘freedom’ chants echoing nationwide.
With the economy in freefall under sanctions, these protests pose an existential threat to Iran’s Islamic order. Observers note parallels to historic revolts, questioning if Khamenei’s defiance can stifle a swelling tide of public outrage.