• Source:JND

A senior US senator has issued a stark warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggesting that President Donald Trump could take lethal action if the Iranian government continues its violent crackdown on nationwide protests. The remarks come amid one of the largest waves of dissent in Iran in years over economic hardship and government policies.

During a Tuesday interview on Fox News’s Hannity, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the United States stands with protesting Iranians and delivered a direct message to Tehran’s leadership. “To the Ayatollahs: you need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is going to kill you,” Graham said, according to multiple news reports. 

Graham, a long-time Trump ally, characterised the Iranian regime as responsible for brutalising its citizens and condemned its leaders as a “religious Nazi” government. Speaking to protesters and ordinary Iranians, he added: “Help is on the way,” and predicted what he described as “change … in the history of the Middle East to get rid of this Nazi regime.” 

Unrest In Iran Over Economy 

Iran has been rocked by widespread protests for more than a week as frustration grows over soaring inflation, a crashing currency and deteriorating living conditions. Reports from human rights groups indicate security forces have killed dozens of people and detained thousands in cities including Tehran, Abadan, and others across the country. 

While President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and violent actors, ordering security forces not to crack down on economic protests, Supreme Leader Khamenei has vowed that those he labels “rioters” will not be tolerated. 

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Escalating International Rhetoric

Senator Graham’s comments follow a string of tough rhetoric from Washington. President Trump previously said the US would “intervene” if Iran responded with lethal force against peaceful protestors, signalling strong support for demonstrators and condemning Tehran’s actions.

Iran’s leadership has pushed back against foreign interference, warning that external threats will be met with resistance. Tehran has also accused the US and Israel of encouraging unrest without providing evidence. 

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