This handout picture from the U.S. Navy exhibits an EA-18G Growler touchdown on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class plane service USS Abraham Lincoln within the Indian Ocean on Jan. 23, 2026.
Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/US Navy/AP
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Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/US Navy/AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s supreme chief warned Sunday that any assault by america would spark a “regional battle” within the Mideast, additional escalating tensions as President Donald Trump has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic.
The feedback from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most-direct menace he is made as far as the plane service USS Abraham Lincoln and related American warships are within the Arabian Sea, despatched by Trump there after Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
It stays unclear whether or not Trump will use drive. He is repeatedly stated Iran needs to barter and has introduced up Tehran’s nuclear program as one other problem he needs to see resolved.
However Khamenei additionally referred to the nationwide protests as “a coup,” hardening the federal government’s place as tens of hundreds of individuals reportedly have been detained because the begin of the demonstrations. Seditious expenses in Iran can carry the dying penalty, which once more renews considerations about Tehran finishing up mass executions for these arrested — a crimson line for Trump.
Iran had additionally deliberate a live-fire navy drill for Sunday and Monday within the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the slender mouth of the Persian Gulf by means of which a fifth of all oil traded passes. The U.S. navy’s Central Command had warned in opposition to threatening American warships or plane through the drill or disrupting industrial site visitors.
Khamenei warns US
Iranian state tv reported Khamenei’s feedback on-line earlier than airing any footage of his remarks.
“The Individuals ought to know that if they begin a battle, this time it will likely be a regional battle,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.
A lady walks by means of the Shiite Saints Abdulazim and Taher shrine in Shahr-e-Ray, south of Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.
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Vahid Salemi/AP
It added that Khamenei stated: “We’re not the instigators and we don’t search to assault any nation. However the Iranian nation will ship a agency blow to anybody who assaults or harasses it.”
Khamenei additionally hardened his place on the demonstrations after earlier acknowledging some folks had reputable financial grievances that sparked their protests. The demonstrations started Dec. 28, initially over the collapse of Iran’s rial forex. It quickly grew right into a direct problem to Khamenei’s rule.
“The latest sedition was just like a coup. In fact, the coup was suppressed,” he stated. “Their objective was to destroy delicate and efficient facilities concerned in working the nation, and because of this they attacked the police, authorities facilities, (Revolutionary Guard) services, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They focused facilities that run the nation.”
Parliament speaker says EU militaries thought-about terrorist teams.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament, in the meantime, stated that the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist teams, lashing out after the bloc declared the nation’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard a terror group over its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, introduced the fear designation, which can possible be principally symbolic. Iran has used a 2019 legislation to reciprocally declare different nations’ militaries terror teams following america declaration of the Guard a terror group that yr.
Qalibaf made the announcement as he and others in parliament wore Guard uniforms in help of the drive. The Guard, which additionally controls Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and has huge financial pursuits in Iran, solutions solely to Iran’s 86-year-old Khamenei.
“By looking for to strike on the (Guard), which itself has been the best barrier to the unfold of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have actually shot themselves within the foot and, as soon as once more, by means of blind obedience to the Individuals, determined in opposition to the pursuits of their very own folks,” Qalibaf stated.
Lawmakers on the session later chanted: “Loss of life to America!” and “Loss of life to Israel!” on the session.
Trump says Iran is ‘severely speaking’ to US
Trump has laid out two crimson traces for navy motion: the killing of peaceable protesters or the potential mass execution of these detained in a significant crackdown over the demonstrations. He is more and more begun discussing Iran’s nuclear program as effectively, which the U.S. negotiated over with Tehran in a number of classes earlier than Israel launched a 12-day battle with Iran again in June.
The U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear websites through the battle. Exercise at two of the websites suggests Iran could also be attempting to obscure the view of satellites because it tries to salvage what stays there.
Trump on Saturday evening declined to say whether or not he’d decided on what he needed to do relating to Iran.
Chatting with reporters as he flew to Florida, Trump sidestepped a query about whether or not Tehran can be emboldened if the U.S. backed away from launching strikes on Iran, saying, “Some folks assume that. Some folks do not.”
Trump stated Iran ought to negotiate a “passable” deal to forestall the Center Japanese nation from getting any nuclear weapons, however stated, “I do not know that they may. However they’re speaking to us. Severely speaking to us.”
Ali Larijani, a high safety official in Iran, wrote on X late Saturday that “structural preparations for negotiations are progressing.” Nevertheless, there isn’t any public signal of any direct talks with america, one thing Khamenei has repeatedly dominated out.
