Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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Iran Warns US Move Against Khamenei Would Mean War

Threat follows Trump's suggestion about a change at the top

(Newser) - Iran's president warned Sunday that his country would consider any US attack on its top leader to be a declaration of war. In what appeared to be a response to President Trump's comment the day before to Politico that "It's time to look for new leadership...

Aides Brief Trump on Options Against Iran

Protesters return to streets as parliament speaker warns of retaliation

(Newser) - President Trump has been briefed on fresh options, including military operations, that the US could take against Iran in support of the protests there that have stretched into a second week. Advisers have presented possibilities including striking nonmilitary targets in Tehran and elements of government security forces accused of using...

Despite Threats, Iranian Protesters Turn Out, Praise Deposed Monarchy

Khamenei denounces demonstrators and Trump, signaling a crackdown

(Newser) - Iran's top leader is signaling he's ready to meet the biggest unrest in years with more force, not concessions. In his first public remarks since nationwide demonstrations erupted on Dec. 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed protesters as "vandals" and foreign-backed "saboteurs," accusing them of damaging...

Iranians Lose Internet as Protests Spread

Authorities cut connectivity as protests over economic crisis intensify

(Newser) - Iran's latest wave of unrest is now unfolding largely offline, according to an internet watchdog that says the country has effectively gone dark. NetBlocks reported on Thursday that Iran is undergoing a nationwide internet blackout, following what it described as days of tighter online controls aimed at suppressing protest...

Iran's Plunging Currency Sparks Widespread Protests

Demonstrators decry inflation as government reshuffles central bank leadership

(Newser) - Iran's plunging currency has now sparked three straight days of protests that are rippling far beyond Tehran , the BBC reports. The unrest began Sunday, when merchants in the capital's Grand Bazaar shuttered their shops after the rial hit a record low against the US dollar on the open...

Iran's Supreme Leader Resurfaces in Public

Under threat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had gone into a bunker

(Newser) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday made his first public appearance since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashoura. The absence of Khamenei during the war had suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader, the AP reports, who...

Iran Admits Heavy Damage to Nuclear Sites

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's assessment is in sharp contrast to that of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

(Newser) - Iran's foreign minister acknowledged Thursday evening that US and Israeli bombings caused "excessive and serious" damage to the nation's nuclear sites. Speaking on state TV, Abbas Araghchi said Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is still assessing what was hit, reports the BBC . He also made clear...

Ayatollah: We 'Delivered Hand Slap to America's Face'

Khamenei makes first public comments since ceasefire with Israel

(Newser) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday his country had "delivered a hand slap to America's face" in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared with Israel. Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19, looking...

Putin: Trump Had No 'Justification' to Hit Iran

But it was unclear if Russia would provide any military assistance to its Mideast ally

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin offered his first public remarks about the US strikes on longtime Russian ally Iran on Monday—and he's not happy about them. But how that might translate into help for Tehran remained unclear.
  • "The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification,"
...

Israeli Defense Minister: Ayatollah 'Cannot Continue to Exist'

Israel Katz says 'Khamenei is the modern Hitler'

(Newser) - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "cannot continue to exist." Katz spoke after the latest wave of Iranian missiles struck a hospital and wounded at least 40 people, reports the AP . "A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a...

Trump Ready to Pull Trigger on Iran Attack: Report
Trump Ready
to Pull Trigger
on Iran Attack:
Report
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 19, 2025 6:01 AM CDT

Trump Ready to Pull Trigger on Iran Attack: Report

They say he has OK'd plans to strike, is waiting on final order to see if Tehran balks on nukes program

(Newser) - What will come of President Trump's "ultimate ultimatum" to Iran remains to be seen, but according to a new report, Trump is ready to strike when that moment comes. The president has told senior aides that he has given the green light on attack plans against Iran, though...

Trump Says He Gave Iran the 'Ultimate Ultimatum'

But he didn't elaborate

(Newser) - Iran's supreme leader may not be into the idea of an unconditional surrender, but the Wall Street Journal reports President Trump didn't back down on the demand for one on Wednesday. In comments to reporters outside the White House, Trump described Iran as having "a lot of...

Iran Leader's Response to Trump Is a Defiant One

'The Iranian nation will not surrender'

(Newser) - President Trump's Tuesday demand for Iran's "unconditional surrender" fell on defiant ears. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday made what the Guardian reports were his first public comments since Friday. In a speech read on state TV, he had this to say, per the Guardian and...

Trump Demands Iran's 'Unconditional Surrender'

President also says the US knows there the nation's supreme leader 'is hiding'

(Newser) - President Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Iran in significant fashion on Tuesday, with a demand for the nation's "unconditional surrender" as its conflict with Israel unfolds, reports the Wall Street Journal . Trump issued the all-caps demand on Truth Social. He also delivered an unambiguous threat to Supreme...

Trump Vetoed Israeli Plan to Kill Khamenei, Sources Say

Though a Netanyahu rep calls the report fake news

(Newser) - President Trump rejected a plan presented by Israel to the US to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a US official familiar with the matter. The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei. After being...

Khamenei Vows 'Crushing Response' Against US, Israel

Iranian supreme leader's threat comes over attacks on Iran and its allies

(Newser) - Iran's supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with a "crushing response" over attacks on Iran and its allies. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke as Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic that...

Khamenei's New X Account in Hebrew Is Quickly Suspended

Iran's supreme leader has had multiple social media accounts for years

(Newser) - The social platform X has suspended a new account on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew, the AP reports. The account was suspended early Monday with a brief note appended to it saying: "X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules....

Supreme Leader of Iran Delivers Blistering Prayers

Khamenei delivered Friday prayers for first time in nearly 5 years

(Newser) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds another title, that of Tehran Friday prayer leader, but he nearly always has subordinates fill in for him. On Friday, he assumed the role for the first time in nearly five years, delivering an exceedingly rare 40-minute sermon at Tehran's Mosalla mosque...

Iran's Supreme Leader OKs Talking to 'Enemy' US on Nukes

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says there'd be 'no harm' in talking to US about Tehran's nuclear program

(Newser) - Iran's supreme leader opened the door Tuesday to renewed negotiations with the United States over his country's rapidly advancing nuclear program, telling its civilian government there was "no harm" in engaging with its "enemy." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks set clear red lines for any...

What This Assassination Could Mean for the Middle East

Iran vows revenge, Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations are thrown into doubt

(Newser) - Questions are swirling after the apparent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he had traveled to attend Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. The details of how he was killed are slowly filtering in, with NBC News citing Iranian state media as reporting the...

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