The comments from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday are the most direct threat he has made so far and follow the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and other American warships to the Arabian Sea, where they were sent by Mr Trump after Tehran's deadly response to the anti-government protests. But Mr Khamenei referred to the nationwide protests as "a coup", hardening the government's position amid the reported detainment of tens of thousands of people since the start of the demonstrations. Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests, and on Sunday the presidency published a list of 2,986 names out of the 3,117 that authorities said were killed in the unrest.
Published at: 2026-02-01 22:28:31
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