(JNS) Iran’s president warned on Sunday that a strike on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the equivalent of an “all-out war” against the country, while blaming the United States and its allies for the “hardship and difficulties” facing citizens of the Islamic Republic.
“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,” Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in Farsi on X, adding that “any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation.”
His comments came a day after US President Donald Trump called for “new leadership in Iran,” after being read a series of posts made earlier by Khamenei on X.
“The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people. His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,” Trump told Politico.
The US president in recent statements has urged demonstrators to “keep protesting” and threatened military action if the regime’s security forces use lethal force against them.
US buildup, Israel on alert
Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday that Israel’s defense establishment believes an American attack on Iran remains a realistic option as the United States accelerates its military buildup in the Middle East.
The channel said US aerial and naval forces are expected to complete preparations within days, giving Washington the capability to carry out a large-scale strike.
The Israel Defense Forces has raised its alert level accordingly, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security consultation with senior ministers and defense officials to assess possible scenarios.
Khamenei admits ‘several thousand’ killed
Khamenei publicly acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that “several thousand” people were killed in the nationwide protests that began on Dec. 28, while attributing the deaths and damage to “those linked to Israel and the US,” as quoted by Iranian state media.
“We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei continued.
Estimates of the number of protesters murdered by the regime’s forces range from a few thousand to the tens of thousands, with the full picture of the casualties difficult to determine amid a government-imposed internet shutdown that began on Jan. 8.
The widely sourced US-based Human Rights Activists New Agency reported on Sunday that 3,919 people have been killed, including 3,685 protesters, with an additional 8,949 deaths still under investigation by HRANA. Also, 2,109 people have been seriously wounded, and the number of confirmed detainees has risen to 24,669.
“These figures are based solely on verified individual reports. Given the internet shutdown, communication restrictions, and limited independent access to information, the actual numbers are likely significantly higher than reported,” HRANA said.
At the end of day 22, HRANA recorded 624 protests.
State TV hack boosts opposition messages
Iranian state television broadcasts were briefly hacked Sunday evening to display opposition messages and footage of protests against the regime, including speeches by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urging security forces to “join the nation for the freedom of Iran.”
The London-based channel Iran International reported that the hack, seen by viewers receiving broadcasts via the Badr satellite, came amid the ongoing internet blackout.
The largest protests since 1979 have spread across Iran, with demonstrators filling the streets of Tehran, Mashhad and other cities across all 31 provinces. The nationwide unrest was triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, which has plunged to about 1.46 million to the dollar. What began as anger over prices and a sinking currency has widened into open calls to end clerical rule, with strikes shuttering markets and businesses in commercial hubs.
The unrest comes as Iran’s leadership grapples with long-running US sanctions and the UN “snapback” that restored nuclear-related measures, alongside mounting strains on the country’s water and energy systems. Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear and energy facilities in June 2025 caused significant damage and have further complicated Tehran’s already fragile energy landscape.
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