Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any attack on Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be considered a declaration of war against the entire country.

“An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X.

The statement came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Khamenei in an interview with Politico, referring to him as a “sick man” and declaring, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”

The remarks appeared to mark the first time Trump publicly called for an end to Khamenei’s rule.

In his post, Pezeshkian placed blame on the United States and its allies for the severe hardships facing Iranians. His comments come amid ongoing unrest across the country, where protests that initially erupted last month over economic conditions have expanded into widespread demonstrations against the regime.

According to reports, the protests have been met with a violent crackdown, with thousands said to have been killed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)