Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham said President Donald Trump would be prepared to “kill” Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, if Iranian security forces continue using deadly force against demonstrators, as nationwide protests against the regime stretched into a 12th consecutive day.
Demonstrations and violent confrontations have been reported in 111 cities across all 31 provinces. According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), at least 34 protesters and four members of the security forces have been killed, while roughly 2,200 protesters have been arrested, reports Newsmax.
During an appearance on Fox News, Graham reiterated Trump’s warning from the previous week that the United States would “come to the rescue” if “Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters.”
“To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight,” Graham said. “We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world.”
“And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you,” he continued, adding, “Help is on the way.”
Graham’s remarks came as Iranian authorities intensified their crackdown on demonstrators, while senior officials issued threats toward Israel and the United States, both of which Tehran has accused of fomenting unrest.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding,” General Amir Hatami said, according to the state-affiliated Fars news agency.
Hatami, who oversees Iran’s conventional military but not the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), warned that any response would exceed the scale of Iran’s actions during the 12-Day War against Israel in June “if the enemy makes a mistake.”
At the same time, Iranian officials have attempted to distinguish between what they describe as legitimate economic grievances and what they claim are organized, armed revolts.
On Wednesday, the country’s top judicial official cautioned protesters that there would be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic.”
“Following announcements by Israel and the U.S. president, there is no excuse for those coming to the streets for riots and unrest,” Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said.
Eyewitness accounts and videos circulating online suggested that regime forces — including fighters described as mercenaries from Iraq — were deployed in cities nationwide. The footage showed checkpoints being erected, motorcycles used to chase crowds, and protesters being beaten and shot.
