Iran\u2019s president warned on Sunday that a strike on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the equivalent of an \u201call-out war\u201d against the country, while blaming the United States and its allies for the \u201chardship and difficulties\u201d facing citizens of the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the people of Iran face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies,\u201d Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in Farsi on X, adding that \u201cany aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His comments came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called for<\/a> \u201cnew leadership in Iran,\u201d after being read a series of posts made earlier<\/a> by Khamenei on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people. His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,\u201d Trump told Politico<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. president in recent statements has urged demonstrators to \u201ckeep protesting\u201d and threatened military action if the regime\u2019s security forces use lethal force against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n US buildup, Israel on alert<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel\u2019s Channel 12<\/em> reported on Sunday that Israel\u2019s defense establishment believes an American attack on Iran remains a realistic option as the United States accelerates its military buildup in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The channel said U.S. aerial and naval forces are expected to complete preparations within days, giving Washington the capability to carry out a large-scale strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Israel Defense Forces has raised its alert level accordingly, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security consultation with senior ministers and defense officials to assess possible scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Khamenei admits \u2018several thousand\u2019 killed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Khamenei publicly acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that \u201cseveral thousand\u201d people were killed in the nationwide protests that began on Dec. 28, while attributing the deaths and damage to \u201cthose linked to Israel and the U.S.,\u201d as quoted by Iranian state media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe consider the U.S. president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,\u201d Khamenei continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimates of the number of protesters murdered<\/a> by the regime\u2019s forces range from a few thousand to the tens of thousands<\/a>, with the full picture of the casualties difficult to determine amid a government-imposed internet shutdown that began on Jan. 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The widely sourced U.S.-based Human Rights Activists New Agency reported on Sunday that 3,919 people have been killed, including 3,685 protesters, with an additional 8,949 deaths still under investigation by HRANA. Also, 2,109 people have been seriously wounded, and the number of confirmed detainees has risen to 24,669.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese figures are based solely on verified individual reports. Given the internet shutdown, communication restrictions, and limited independent access to information, the actual numbers are likely significantly higher than reported,\u201d HRANA said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of day 22, HRANA recorded 624 protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n State TV hack boosts opposition messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Iranian state television broadcasts were briefly hacked Sunday evening to display opposition messages and footage of protests against the regime, including speeches by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi<\/a> urging security forces to \u201cjoin the nation for the freedom of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n