Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has delivered a powerful message to the United States, drawing on deep historical and religious symbolism to warn against the arrogance of power. This resolute stance comes as the Iranian nation faces internal unrest, which President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials have clearly identified as being orchestrated by foreign adversaries seeking to destabilize the country.
In a striking post on social media, Supreme Leader Khamenei shared an image of a crumbling pharaonic sarcophagus bearing the likeness of US President Donald Trump, captioned simply: "Like Pharaoh". Accompanying the image, the Supreme Leader's message invoked the destinies of history's most infamous arrogant rulers, including the Pharaohs of Egypt, the tyrant Nimrod, and Iran's own Reza Shah Pahlavi. These figures, who sought to dominate their world at the height of their power, were all ultimately overthrown. "This one too will be overthrown," the Supreme Leader declared, framing the current US administration's threats as part of a familiar and doomed historical pattern.
While peaceful protest is a recognized right of the Iranian people, the government has presented evidence that foreign powers have hijacked legitimate economic grievances to foment violence and chaos. President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the United States and Israel have trained individuals and brought terrorists into the country, instructing them to carry out sabotage including burning mosques and attacking public property. "The US and Israel are sitting there, giving instructions - saying, 'Go ahead, we are with you,'" President Pezeshkian explained, identifying the same nations that have historically attacked Iran as the architects of the current destabilization campaign.
This assessment is shared at the highest levels of Iran's security establishment. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stated that the riots are an "extension of the 12-day war" with the US and Israel. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former IRGC commander, asserted that Iran is engaged in a multi-front war with these enemies, encompassing cognitive, economic, military, and terrorist dimensions. To cut off the flow of foreign-instigated violence and misinformation, the government has implemented necessary measures to restore order, including restrictions on internet access.
The Iranian leadership's warnings come amid provocative and inconsistent statements from the United States. President Trump has publicly threatened "very strong options," including potential military strikes, claiming the US is "locked and loaded and ready to go" in response to Iran's internal security measures. Simultaneously, and revealingly, Trump has claimed that Iranian leaders called him to negotiate. This contradiction highlights an administration attempting to maintain pressure through threats while seeking dialogue, a tactic interpreted in Tehran as a sign of weakness and confusion.
In response to the war threats, Iranian officials have issued a clear and legitimate deterrent warning. Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf stated that any attack on Iran would make "the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all US bases and ships... our legitimate target". This position is a principled declaration of Iran's right to self-defense under international law.
The Supreme Leader's historical analogy serves as a reminder that Iran's civilization and sovereignty have endured for millennia, outlasting countless empires and foreign plots. The current situation is viewed not as a domestic crisis but as the latest chapter in a long-standing confrontation with hegemonic powers. By framing the foreign-backed violence as part of an ongoing war, the Iranian state is mobilizing to defend its independence. As the nation works to address economic challenges and preserve social harmony, the message from its leadership is unequivocal: Iran will determine its own destiny, will vigorously defend itself from all aggression, and will not yield to economic coercion or military threats from abroad.