Moments after former US President Donald Trump warned of possible military intervention in Tehran if Iran fired on peaceful protesters, a senior aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader hit back, mocking Washington’s past “rescue operations” in the region.
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded to Trump’s remarks by recalling the US military’s withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, arguing that Iranians were well aware of the consequences of American interventions.
Shamkhani appeared to be referring to the US exit from Afghanistan in 2021, when American forces pulled out after nearly two decades, leaving behind large quantities of weapons and military equipment, much of it funded by Washington. He also cited the US withdrawal from Iraq earlier in the last decade, which was followed by the rise of ISIS and a prolonged period of violence that ravaged the country between 2013 and 2017.
Accusing Trump of what he described as “adventurism”, Shamkhani cautioned the US to “watch over its soldiers”.
In a post on X, the Khamenei aide warned that any intervention threatening Iran’s security would be met with a swift and “regret-inducing” response before it could even materialise. He stressed that Iran’s national security was a “red line” and not something to be tested through what he called reckless posturing.
“Iranians know the US ‘rescue’ record well, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza. Any intervening hand nearing Iran’s security on pretexts will be cut off with a regret-inducing response. Iran’s national security is a red line, not material for adventurist tweets,” Shamkhani wrote.
Earlier, Trump had issued a warning directed at Khamenei, stating that if Iran “shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters”, the United States would intervene. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, amid circulating reports of chants calling for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader and demands for the return of the exiled monarchy, Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province dismissed the claims as fabricated.
According to Iran International, Ahmad Alamolhoda alleged that Israeli media and what he described as “enemy-affiliated outlets” had filmed crowds and later used artificial intelligence to overlay anti-government slogans on the footage.
He claimed the intent was to create the impression that Iranians had turned against the Islamic Revolution and wanted the system to collapse. Among the slogans being circulated were “Mullahs must leave Iran” and “Javid Shah” — meaning “long live the Shah”