Iran leader defiant as protests grow, Trump warns Tehran over response
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the government would not retreat in the face of expanding protests, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against using force as demonstrations spread across major Iranian cities, a Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Speaking on state television on Friday, Khamenei accused protesters of vandalism and said they were acting to please the United States, stressing that the Islamic Republic would not give ground despite mounting pressure. His remarks came as rallies continued for a second week, initially driven by anger over rising living costs and later expanding into broader anti-government protests.
Demonstrators gathered late Thursday in Tehran and other cities, chanting slogans including “death to the dictator,” referring to Khamenei, and setting fire to public buildings and vehicles. Authorities reported damage to dozens of buses, ambulances and government facilities, while footage on social media showed large crowds moving through city centers. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said security and judicial bodies would show no compromise toward what it called acts of sabotage.
Iran is undergoing a revolution and perhaps the largest explicitly anti-Islamic regime protests in history. This is the capital Tehran.
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) January 9, 2026
Protesters are taking over cities across the country and the regime now faces a REAL chance of falling.
I ask again, why is the media silent? pic.twitter.com/dpHZcDaRxt
The protests are among the largest since the 2022-2023 unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody and pose a renewed challenge to the leadership. State television also aired images of counter-protests in support of the authorities in several cities.
The unrest has drawn sharp reactions from Washington. Trump said late Thursday that enthusiasm for overturning Iran’s leadership was “incredible” and warned that the United States would respond strongly if protesters were killed. Khamenei rejected the comments, accusing the U.S. president of having “blood-stained hands” and predicting his eventual downfall.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on a nationwide internet blackout, as documented by the monitoring group NetBlocks.
