Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at President Donald Trump on Sunday, responding angrily to U.S. warnings and growing international pressure as anti-government protests continue to shake Iran.
In a message posted on his official Farsi-language X account, Khamenei shared an image depicting a crumbling statue resembling Trump and issued a warning aimed at the U.S. president.
“That father figure who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the entire world, he too should know that usually the tyrants and oppressors of the world, such as Pharaoh and Nimrod and Reza Khan and Mohammad Reza and the likes of them, when they were at the peak of their pride, were overthrown,” Khamenei wrote.
“This one too will be overthrown,” the ayatollah added.
Khamenei’s rhetoric came as the Iranian regime faces its most serious internal unrest in years—and just hours before Trump suggested that Tehran is already seeking talks with Washington.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump made clear that the United States is prepared to respond forcefully if Iran continues its violent crackdown on protesters, while also noting that diplomatic channels may be opening because of U.S. pressure.
Trump said it “looks like” Iran may have crossed the administration’s red line by killing protesters and warned that the U.S. military has “strong options” available.
“We’ll make a determination,” Trump said.
The president has repeatedly warned Iran’s leadership against using violence to suppress demonstrators and has publicly voiced support for the Iranian people. On Saturday, Trump wrote on social media:
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
According to a U.S. official, Trump is scheduled to receive a briefing Tuesday on potential American responses—underscoring that military action remains on the table.
Trump also revealed that Iranian leaders reached out directly to him on Saturday, signaling that the regime may be looking for a way out as protests spread and international pressure mounts.
“They do. They called,” Trump said when asked whether Iran wants to negotiate diplomatically.
“Iran called to negotiate yesterday — the leaders of Iran called yesterday. They want to negotiate. I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” he said.
“We may meet with them,” Trump added. “A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act — because of what’s happening — before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up.”
BREAKING: There are over a million Iranians out on the streets of Tehran. They’re marching in support of the regime in Iran. So much for the revolution. pic.twitter.com/YqUmaXJDVy
Protests have been spreading across Iran since late December, initially sparked by rising inflation and the collapse of the national currency, the rial. As demonstrations expanded beyond Tehran into cities nationwide, they evolved into open opposition to the regime itself.
According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the death toll from the protests had reached 544 as of Sunday, with at least 10,681 people arrested. Activists report demonstrations at 585 locations across 186 cities in all 31 provinces—an unprecedented level of nationwide unrest.
HRANA’s figures are compiled from activists inside and outside Iran, the data has not been independently verified.
Still, the scale of the protests highlights the growing instability of Iran’s leadership—an outcome critics say contrasts sharply with years of failed diplomacy and accommodation under prior administrations. Trump’s supporters argue that strong leadership, clear red lines, and unwavering support for freedom have put the regime on the defensive for the first time in decades.
As Trump made clear Sunday, Iran now faces a choice: continue its violent repression and risk serious consequences, or negotiate from a position of weakness.
