Iran’s supreme leader escalated already volatile tensions in the Middle East on Sunday, warning that any military action by the United States would ignite a “regional war,” as President Donald Trump weighs how to respond to Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.
The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marked his most explicit threat to date, coming as U.S. naval power, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, sits poised in the Arabian Sea following Iran’s crackdown.
Khamenei’s warning landed amid deep uncertainty over Washington’s next move. Trump has repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate, particularly over its nuclear ambitions, even as he has drawn clear red lines around the killing of peaceful protesters or the potential mass execution of those detained. Those red lines loom larger as reports indicate tens of thousands have been arrested since demonstrations erupted in late December, initially over economic collapse and rapidly morphing into a direct challenge to Iran’s ruling theocracy.
The supreme leader dismissed the protests outright, branding them a “coup” rather than an expression of public grievance. In doing so, he hardened the regime’s posture after earlier conceding that some demonstrators had legitimate economic concerns.
Sedition charges in Iran can carry the death penalty, reviving fears that Tehran could resort to mass executions reminiscent of some of the darkest chapters in its post-revolutionary history. Human rights groups estimate that thousands have already been killed in the crackdown, though Iran’s government has issued significantly lower figures, a pattern consistent with past unrest.
Khamenei’s rhetoric extended beyond internal dissent. As Iran prepared live-fire military drills in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital chokepoint for global oil supplies—the U.S. military warned against any threats to American forces or commercial shipping.
From his Tehran compound, Khamenei accused the United States of seeking to plunder Iran’s resources, casting Washington as a predatory power intent on reasserting control. His message was blunt: Iran claims it does not seek war, but it promises to strike hard if attacked.
The confrontation has also widened diplomatically. Iran’s parliament declared all European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations after the EU designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terror group over its role in the crackdown. Lawmakers donned Guard uniforms and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” underscoring how deeply confrontation is embedded in the regime’s political theater.
Trump, for his part, has declined to tip his hand. While emphasizing that Iran is “seriously talking” about a deal to prevent nuclear weapons, he has avoided confirming whether military action is imminent. The result is a standoff defined by threats, uncertainty, and the growing risk that internal repression and external brinkmanship could collide, with consequences far beyond Iran’s borders.
