‘Judges arrogantly’: Khamenei lashes out at Trump in a series of X posts; internet blackout continues in Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued to post defiant messages on his official X account on Friday even as much of the country remained under a sweeping internet blackout.In a series of posts, Khamenei accused the United States and President Donald Trump of inciting unrest, blamed protesters for “destroying buildings that belong to their own country”, and warned that Iran would not retreat. “All should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran, established with the sacrifice of several hundred thousand honourable people, won’t back down in the face of those causing destruction,” one post read.
Another message referred to the recent 12-day war, claiming more than a thousand Iranians were killed and accusing Trump of responsibility. “The US President said he ordered this. So, he confessed that the Iranians’ blood was on his hands. Now he’s saying that he’s on the side of the Iranian nation,” Khamenei wrote. He also likened Trump to historical figures such as Pharaoh and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, warning that “arrogant rulers” ultimately fall at the height of their power.The posts appeared while ordinary Iranians remained largely cut off from the internet and international calls, with widespread outages affecting access to news, messaging apps and social media. Activists said the blackout was designed to prevent images of the protests from spreading and to give security forces cover as demonstrations intensified overnight in Tehran and other cities.Iranian state television later acknowledged unrest, claiming “terrorist agents” linked to the US and Israel had sparked violence and fires, though it offered few details. The judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, vowed punishment for protesters would be “decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency”, reinforcing fears of a heavy-handed response.Despite the blackout, short videos shared before communications were cut showed crowds chanting “Death to the dictator” and praising the former shah. The protests were fuelled by Iran’s deepening economic crisis following sanctions and the recent conflict, with the rial collapsing to record lows.The unrest has also followed calls by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for Iranians to take to the streets. He accused the authorities of silencing the country and urged Western governments to help restore communications so protests could be seen.Trump, meanwhile, renewed warnings that the US would respond if peaceful protesters were killed, saying Iran had been “told very strongly” there would be consequences.
