OAN Staff Nathaniel Mannor
11:51 AM – Monday, January 19, 2026
Iran’s president warned that an attempt by the United States and other nations to target the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be taken as a declaration of war and could trigger an all-out conflict.
In an X post on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed protesters are upset about U.S. sanctions harming the economy, despite calls from inside Iran to topple the regime.
“An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation,” he wrote on X.
Pezeshkian then went on to blame the protests in his country on the United States.
“If there are hardship and constraints in the lives of the dear people of Iran, one of the main causes is the longstanding hostility and inhumane sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and its allies,” Pezeshkian said.
This comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran, adding that it’s time to look for new leadership in the country.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has repeatedly urged Iranians to keep pressuring the Islamic Republic and has called on the military to oppose the Ayatollah.
“I have a special message for military personnel: you are the national army of Iran, not the army of the Islamic Republic,” Pahlavi stated. “You have a duty to protect the lives of your fellow citizens. You do not have much time left. Join the people as soon as possible. Employees of state institutions and the armed and security forces have the chance to join the people and stand with the nation — or to side with the killers of the people and bring upon themselves the nation’s eternal shame and curse.”
It’s unclear if Iran has the strength to fight an all-out war against the U.S. if President Trump were to strike the region.
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