Khamenei Issues Strong Statement: Iran Will Never Yield to U.S. Pressure

Affected by economic recession, Iranian citizens held protests across the country on Wednesday, December 31. The image above, a screenshot from social media video, shows demonstrators causing unrest outside a government building in Fasa city, Fars Province, southern Iran. (AFP)

(Dubai, combined) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that he would not bow to pressure from protesters or the United States.

In a televised address on Saturday, January 3, Khamenei declared that Iran would not surrender to its enemies and stated that rioters should be punished.

Long-standing sanctions have caused Iran’s economy to stagnate and inflation to soar. Recently, the Iranian rial hit a record low against the U.S. dollar, triggering protests by merchants in the capital Tehran. The demonstrations later spread to other cities, with clashes erupting in multiple locations on Thursday, January 1.

On January 3, Iran’s Fars News Agency cited informed sources reporting that protest-related clashes in Ilam Province in western Iran on Saturday evening resulted in three deaths—one security force member and two attackers—with many others injured.

According to the report, armed demonstrators attempted to storm a law enforcement center in Malekshahi County, sparking the confrontation. Earlier that afternoon, riots broke out in the county, during which attackers targeted multiple government buildings, vandalized several banks, and looted and destroyed numerous private homes. Sources said Iran’s police special forces had been deployed to restore order.

Human rights organizations reported that more than 10 people have died in protests across Iran since December 28.

Videos circulating on social media—unverified by Reuters—showed protests taking place in southern and western Iran.

Addressing concerns raised by market traders over currency depreciation, Khamenei said, “It is true that they cannot do business under these conditions. We will talk to the protesters, but there is no point in talking to rioters—they must receive the punishment they deserve.”

The Kurdish human rights group Hengaw confirmed on Friday that 133 people had been arrested, an increase of 77 from the previous day.

On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that the United States was fully prepared and ready to act. He warned that if Iranian authorities attacked the protesters, the U.S. would intervene. Last summer, the U.S. joined Israel in airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.