Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday warned that Donald Trump would be “overthrown,” accused foreign-backed forces of fuelling protests and said the Islamic Republic would not back down.

Speaking on state television, Khamenei said, “History shows that tyrants cannot remain in power for long. Pharaoh, Nimrod and Mohammad Reza Shah of Iran all fell because of their aggressive approaches. Trump will not be able to stay in power either; he will be removed.”

He labeled the protesters as “sabotage agents” seeking to invite Trump to attack Iran.

“They are trying to please someone who does not even know how to run his own country. President Trump should learn how to govern his own country first,” Khamenei added.

Addressing the domestic unrest, he declared that the protesters would not succeed in overthrowing the government, emphasizing, “Everyone should know that this Islamic Republic is built on the blood of millions of honourable people. The sabotage efforts will not topple the government.”

The protests erupted after years of economic hardships in Iran, including the devaluation of Iranian rial, skyrocketing inflation and rising living costs.

On December 28, traders in Tehran’s markets called a strike against inflation and high living expenses, which quickly escalated into widespread protests across 31 provinces, paralyzing many cities and towns.

The Iranian government has deployed security forces nationwide and shut down internet and mobile connections in attempts to control the unrest, but tensions remain high.

So far, 45 people have been killed in the protests.

Earlier, Trump had threatened that the US could strike Iran if the government’s armed forces responded with severe repression.

Source: Iran International