Shafaq News– Tehran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Monday portrayed US President Donald Trump as an arrogant despot, warning that he would ultimately meet the falling fate of historical tyrants such as Pharaoh and Nimrod.

In a post on X, Khamenei shared an image depicting a shattered, pharaonic-style statue of Trump, He also accused the United States of orchestrating nationwide economic protests that have spread across Iran since December 28, 2025.

The comments followed earlier threats from Trump toward Tehran, including warnings that Iran would face consequences for any harm to US interests. “Iran has crossed a red line and killed innocent people,” Trump added, noting that Washington was reviewing “very strong options, including military ones.”

The unrest began after the Iranian rial fell to a record low of about 1.45 million per US dollar, driving sharp increases in food prices and inflation. Protests have since expanded to cities across the country, while Iranian authorities have yet to publish official figures on casualties or arrests.

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that, as of January 12, at least 544 people had been killed and 10,681 detained, with demonstrations recorded at 585 locations across all 31 provinces. Separately, HRANA cited cumulative reporting by Iranian state outlets and media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps indicating that more than 100 members of the security forces —including police, Basij, and IRGC personnel— have died since the unrest began.

Iranian officials have denied responsibility for the violence. President Masoud Pezeshkian accused “terrorists” linked to foreign powers of killing civilians, setting fire to mosques, and attacking public property, while urging citizens to distance themselves from what he described as “rioters.”

Read more: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation