Iran warns attack on Khamenei would be declaration of war

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Lorenzo Tondo and Deepa ParentJanuary 18, 2026 at 07:10 PM

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be considered a declaration of war against Iran. This statement follows speculation that Donald Trump considered targeting Khamenei. Pezeshkian also blamed the US for ongoing protests in Iran, citing sanctions as a major cause of hardship. Trump had previously criticized Khamenei and urged Iranians to continue protesting. The US reportedly considered military strikes against Iran but paused amid regional pressure, with concerns raised by Israel and Saudi Arabia regarding potential Iranian retaliation and regional instability.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Politico 30% Mohammed bin Salman 40% X 40% Axios ×350% Benjamin Netanyahu 50% Israel ×250% Tehran ×250% Masoud Pezeshkian ×280% Donald Trump ×590% United States ×590% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ×390% Iran ×8100%

Keywords

iran 100% attack on khamenei 90% declaration of war 80% us sanctions 70% anti-government protests 70% regime change 60% donald trump 60% economic hardship 50% regional stability 50%

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Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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iran attack on khamenei declaration of war us sanctions anti-government protests regime change donald trump economic hardship regional stability

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