Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Jan. 9 that he will stand firm against vandalism and foreign-backed unrest, noting that Iran “will not back down” in the face of those acting to curry favor with the U.S. President, reported PressTV. Pointing to the damage incurred to the public property last night by a “bunch of vandals,” Khamenei said that they have done that “to make the American President happy.” The vandals were encouraged by “baseless” remarks from Washington promising support if Iran acted in a certain way, noted Khamenei.
Referring directly to U.S. President Donald Trump, Khamenei dismissed his repeated claims of standing with the Iranian people. “If he can, he should run his own country,” he said, pointing to unrest and crises inside the United States.
Stressing the state’s red lines, Khamenei said the Islamic Republic, which he noted was established through the sacrifice of “hundreds of thousands of honorable people,” would not tolerate destruction or foreign servitude. “The Islamic Republic will not back down against vandals. It will not tolerate mercenaries of foreigners,” he said, adding that anyone who works for foreign powers is “rejected” by both the nation and the Islamic system.
Khamenei likened the U.S. President to past tyrants, saying figures, such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, and Iran’s former dictators, were toppled “at the height of their arrogance.” “This one will be toppled as well,” he said.
