ALBAWABA - Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on his Persian X account an image of a statue depicting U.S. President Donald Trump in a shattered pharaonic form.
Khamenei described Trump as "arrogant and conceited, sitting there judging the entire world." He posted the image on X and wrote, "Throughout history, tyrants and despots, like Pharaoh, Nimrod, and their ilk, often fell when they reached the peak of their arrogance... This person, too, will be overthrown," [referring to Trump]."
The U.S. President had announced that his administration was considering very strong options regarding the Iranian issue. Earlier, Trump said that he would intervene and strike Tehran if it kills anti-government protesters.
Trump told reporters, "The US military is looking into it, and I will speak with Elon Musk about restoring internet service to Iran," after authorities there cut off internet access amid ongoing anti-government protests.
Anti-government Protests in Iran:
Iran's protests erupted two weeks ago, on December 28, 2025, due to the sharp drop of the Iranian Rial against the dollar and the horrible economic situation in the country. The demonstrations hit major cities across Iran, pushing the government to deploy the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to curb the protesters.
The Iranian government shut down the internet across the country amid the violent protests.
Protestors pose for a photograph as they burn an image of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in Solidarity with Iran's Uprising, in central London on January 11, 2026. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP)
U.S.-based rights group HRANA reported on Sunday that anti-government protests led to the death of over 500 people: 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, in addition to the arrest of more than 10,600 people.
On the other hand, Iran International said on Saturday that the most conservative estimates indicate that about 2,000 people have been killed over the past 48 hours.
Responding to Trump's threats to attack Iran, Tehran warned to hit U.S. military bases if Trump carries out his renewed threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.
