Iran's supreme leader warns of "regional war" in Middle East if U.S. attacks

Iran's ultimate person warned that immoderate onslaught connected the state by the United States would spark a "regional war" successful the Middle East, pursuing President Trump's threats to intervene militarily successful effect to the Islamic Republic's crackdown connected caller nationwide protests.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments, made portion speaking to a assemblage astatine his compound successful Tehran and arsenic quoted by the Tasnim quality agency, are the astir nonstop menace he's made truthful acold since the USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer radical arrived successful planetary waters disconnected Iran, successful the Persian Gulf. 

In this photograph released by an authoritative website of the bureau of the Iranian ultimate leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prays astatine the sedate of the precocious revolutionary laminitis Ayatollah Khomeini, conscionable extracurricular Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

Mr. Trump has besides mentioned his tendency to curb Iran's atomic programme successful his caller remarks, but it remains unclear whether Mr. Trump volition usage force. He has repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate. 

He had said helium wanted to proceed negotiations past twelvemonth earlier past deciding to onslaught Iran's atomic sites past June, supporting Israel's 12-day warfare with the country. On Saturday, Mr. Trump declined to accidental whether he'd made a determination connected what helium wanted to bash regarding Iran now.

Speaking to reporters arsenic helium flew to Florida, Mr. Trump sidestepped a question astir whether Tehran would beryllium emboldened if the U.S. backed distant from launching strikes connected Iran, saying, "Some radical deliberation that. Some radical don't."

He said Iran should negociate a "satisfactory" woody to forestall the Middle Eastern state from getting immoderate atomic weapons, but said, "I don't cognize that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us."

In Tehran, Khamenei claimed that the U.S. is funny successful the country's oil, earthy state and different mineral resources. He said the Americans wanted to "seize this country, conscionable arsenic they controlled it before."

"The Americans indispensable beryllium alert that if they wage a warfare this time, it volition beryllium a determination war," helium said.

The ultimate person added that: "We are not the instigators, we are not going to beryllium unfair to anyone, we don't program to onslaught immoderate country. But if anyone shows greed and wants to onslaught oregon harass, the Iranian federation volition woody a dense stroke to them."

Iranians locomotion on a sidewalk connected Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Street successful downtown Tehran, Iran with a mural of Ayatollah Khamenei and Ayatollah Khomeini successful the inheritance connected February 1, 2026. Majid Saeedi / Getty Images

Khamenei besides hardened his presumption connected the caller demonstrations aft earlier acknowledging immoderate protesters had had morganatic economical grievances. The demonstrations began Dec. 28, initially implicit the illness of Iran's rial currency. It soon grew into a nonstop situation to Khamenei's rule.

"The caller sedition was akin to a coup," helium said. "Of course, the coup was suppressed. Their extremity was to destruct delicate and effectual centers progressive successful moving the country, and for this crushed they attacked the police, authorities centers, (Revolutionary Guard) facilities, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centers that tally the country."

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies connected a web of sources wrong Iran to stitchery its information, says it has verified the deaths of 6,713 people, astir of them demonstrators, and that the authorities person detained astatine slightest 49,500 radical truthful far. The Associated Press has been incapable to independently measure the decease toll and apprehension figures, fixed that authorities person chopped Iran's net disconnected from the remainder of the world. Other sources person told CBS News and different media that the existent decease toll crossed the state is substantially higher. 

As of Jan. 21, Iran's authorities enactment the decease toll astatine a acold little 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and information forces, labeling the remainder "terrorists." In the past, Iran's theocracy has undercounted oregon not reported fatalities from unrest.

Even this authorities fig exceeds the decease toll reported from immoderate different circular of protestation oregon unrest successful Iran successful decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.

Iran has planned a live-fire subject drill for Sunday and Monday successful the strategical Strait of Hormuz, the constrictive rima of the Persian Gulf done which a 5th of each lipid traded passes. The U.S. military's Central Command, which is the Pentagon's determination combatant bid for the Middle East, has warned against threatening American warships oregon craft during the drill oregon disrupting commercialized traffic.

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