The battle lines are drawn in Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has labeled the growing protest movement as a foreign-backed plot, creating the pretext for a brutal military crackdown to save the regime.

In his first public address since the unrest began on December 28, Khamenei dismissed the legitimate economic grievances of the protesters, instead branding them "vandals" and "mercenaries" of the US President. "We will not back down," he thundered, as chants of "Death to Khamenei" echoed in neighborhoods just miles from his compound.

The Crackdown Begins

Security forces are already moving. Videos from Tehran’s Sadatabad district show riot police firing tear gas and live ammunition into crowds banging pots and pans.

• The Trump Factor: Khamenei explicitly blamed Donald Trump’s threats of intervention for "emboldening" the rioters. This narrative allows the regime to treat domestic protesters as enemy combatants.
• Digital Blackout: A near-total internet shutdown is in effect to hide the scale of the violence. Activists fear a repeat of the 2019 "Bloody November" where hundreds were killed in silence.
• Judicial Threats: The head of Iran’s judiciary has promised "decisive execution" for ringleaders. The message is clear: the price of dissent is death.

A Regime Cornered

Unlike previous waves, this uprising feels existential. The currency has collapsed, the youth have nothing to lose, and the leadership looks isolated. Khamenei’s harsh words suggest he knows that compromise is no longer an option—it is either repression or revolution.