Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday warned that any attack on the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to a declaration of war against Iran, amid rising tensions with the United States.
“An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X, responding to remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said it was “time to look for new leadership in Iran”.
The warning comes as limited internet access began returning across Iran after a 10-day communications blackout imposed during violent nationwide protests, according to monitoring groups.
The demonstrations erupted in late December over economic hardship and rapidly evolved into the largest challenge to Iran’s leadership in years. Authorities imposed the blackout on January 8 as protests intensified, while security forces carried out a widespread crackdown.
Iranian officials have maintained that protests were initially peaceful before turning into “riots”, blaming foreign interference by the United States and Israel.
Trump, who supported Israel during a 12-day conflict with Iran in June, had repeatedly warned Tehran of consequences if protesters were killed. While Washington appeared to step back in recent days, Trump again criticised Khamenei — Iran’s supreme leader for 37 years — in an interview with Politico, calling for leadership change.
Despite the exchange of sharp rhetoric, Iranian officials said calm has largely returned to the streets. Armoured vehicles and security patrols were visible in central Tehran, AFP correspondents reported.
A newly erected banner in the capital showed a row of falling dominoes featuring images of Iran’s former shah, ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and Trump, captioned: “Dominoes falling.”
Schools reopened on Sunday after a week-long closure, and authorities confirmed that internet services would be gradually restored, according to Tasnim news agency.
On Saturday, Khamenei claimed that “a few thousand” people had been killed by what he described as agents linked to the US and Israel, while local media also reported casualties among security personnel.
Iran’s judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir warned that those accused of inciting violence would face swift trials, saying some acts could qualify as “moharebeh” — waging war against God — a charge that carries the death penalty.
“All those who played a decisive role in violence leading to bloodshed and damage to public property will not be spared,” Jahangir said.
Concerns have grown internationally over possible executions of detained protesters, even as Trump claimed Iran had cancelled hundreds of planned hangings.