Iran leaders warn protesters and foreign foes as deadly unrest ramps up

Army chief hits out at foreign ‘rhetoric’ targeting Iran, threatens decisive action to ‘cut off hand of any aggressor’.Published On 7 Jan 2026Iran’s top judge warned protesters who have taken to the streets during a spiralling economic crisis there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, accusing the US and Israel of sowing chaos.“Following announcements by Israel and the US president, there is no excuse for those coming to the streets for riots and unrest,” said Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on Wednesday in comments on the deadly protests carried by Fars News Agency.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran’s New Year demonstrations and the question of regime survivallist 2 of 4Protests grow as Iran’s government makes meager offer amid tanking economylist 3 of 4Timeline of protests in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolutionlist 4 of 4Sporadic protests in Tehran as riots reported in Iran’s westend of listAmid growing unrest, Iran is under international pressure after US President Donald Trump threatened last week that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue”.His threat – accompanied by an assertion that the US is “locked and loaded and ready to go” – came seven months after Israeli and US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites in a 12-day war.Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the protesters on Sunday, telling ministers, “It is quite possible that we are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”Following Ejei’s warning, Iran’s army chief threatened preemptive military action over the “rhetoric” targeting Iran.Speaking to military academy students, Major-General Amir Hatami – who took over as commander-in-chief of Iran’s army after a slew of top military commanders were killed in Israel’s 12-day war – said the country would “cut off the hand of any aggressor”.