In his first public address addressing nationwide unrest, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a scathing condemnation of former U.S. President Donald Trump while confronting escalating domestic protests. Speaking on January 9, 2026, Khamenei characterized Trump as “arrogant” and predicted his political downfall, drawing parallels to Iran’s pre-revolution monarchy.
The supreme leader’s remarks came amid sustained demonstrations triggered by economic grievances and rising living costs. Khamenei accused “vandals” and “saboteurs” of damaging public property to curry favor with American leadership, asserting Iran’s resilience against such actions. Despite government-imposed communication restrictions aimed at quelling dissent, protests continued with reported incidents of government buildings being set ablaze.
Simultaneously, Reza Pahlavi—son of Iran’s deposed shah and now U.S.-based opposition figure—called for reinforced demonstrations following what he described as successful protests on January 8. Pahlavi claimed visible retreats by security forces and urged expanded Friday rallies to further weaken governmental control.
Khamenei’s dual-front address combined familiar anti-American rhetoric with direct confrontation of domestic discontent, highlighting the regime’s challenge in balancing ideological opposition to Western powers with addressing internal economic dissatisfaction.