Iran's "Deceitful Actions" Warning To US Amid Trump's 25% Tariff Threat

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned the United States to stop what he called "deceitful actions" and its reliance on "traitorous hirelings" as US President Donald Trump threatened to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed at least 646 people. The US has also announced a 25 per cent tariff on any country trading with Iran, ramping up pressure on Tehran's theocratic regime.

"The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of the enemies. This was a warning to US politicians that they should halt their deceitful actions and stop relying on their traitorous hirelings," Khamenei, in power since 1989 and now 86, wrote in a post on X.

The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of the enemies. This was a warning to US politicians that they should halt their deceitful actions and stop relying on their traitorous hirelings.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 12, 2026

"The Iranian nation is strong, powerful and aware; it knows the enemy and is always present on the scene," he added.

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The comments after Trump said he's mulling options to intervene in protest-hit Iran that range from low to high risk, but choosing his course depends on his decision on his ultimate goal.

More than two weeks of demonstrations initially sparked by economic grievances have turned into one of the biggest challenges yet to the theocratic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the shah.

ALSO READ: Iran Rights Group Warns Of "Mass Killing" Of Protesters

Trump's Threat

It has been 10 days since Trump said the United States was "locked and loaded" and ready to "come to the rescue" if Iran's clerical state kills demonstrators who have taken to the streets in major numbers.

Since then, Trump has kept threatening a military option, even as hundreds of people have died, according to rights groups.

ALSO READ: "Leave Iran Now": US Issues Advisory For Its Citizens Amid Unrest

Iran has been a sworn foe of the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah. The downfall of the Islamic Republic in power since then would transform the Middle East.

But Trump has previously lashed out against "regime change" as a goal, especially pointing to lessons from US involvement in Iraq, a smaller country.

Trump on Monday exercised economic leverage, announcing 25 per cent tariffs on Iran's trading partners, and he has spoken of ways to restore internet access shut down by Tehran forcibly.

The two governments have also revealed that they have been in communication, coordinated by Trump's friend and roving envoy Steve Witkoff.