2 hours ago
Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 18:40 IST
The warning comes as Iran faces its most serious unrest in years and President Donald Trump ramps up pressure while hinting at negotiations.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on October 3, 2025, that Tehran would only consider cooperation with the United States if it changed its policy in the region including supporting Israel. (IMAGE: AFP)
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday warned the United States against miscalculations, saying Washington’s past failures show it does not understand Iran, as the country faces its most serious wave of anti-regime protests in years and renewed pressure from President Donald Trump.
“Our enemies do not know Iran. In the past, the United States failed because of their poor planning. Even today, their misguided manoeuvres will lead them to failure," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on X, posting in French from his official Khamenei_fr handle.
The message came amid nationwide demonstrations that began over soaring prices and have since escalated into open calls for the fall of Iran’s clerical establishment.
Rights groups based outside Iran say hundreds of protesters have been killed in a violent crackdown, though Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures and information flow has been restricted by an internet shutdown.
Nos ennemis ne connaissent pas l’Iran. Par le passé, les États-Unis ont échoué à cause de leur mauvaise planification. Aujourd’hui encore, leurs manœuvres erronées les conduiront à l’échec.— Ayatollah Khamenei (@fr_Khamenei) January 12, 2026
US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested since the protests began on December 28 and spread around the country.
Pro-Ayatollah Supporters Take To The Streets
Khamenei’s post also followed large pro-government rallies, with thousands of supporters gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab Square and other cities to condemn what officials described as “riots" backed by foreign powers.
State television aired footage of crowds waving Iranian flags and attending funerals of security personnel killed during the unrest.
First Published:
January 12, 2026, 18:38 IST
News world ‘Failed Because Of Poor Planning’: Khamenei Calls US Support For Anti-Regime Protests ‘Misguided’
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