Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hard-line Iranian cleric close to the regime, on Friday openly called for the execution of protesters in Tehran as the Islamic Republic intensifies its crackdown on demonstrations spreading through the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArmed hypocrites should be put to death!\u201d Khatami declared in a sermon broadcast on Iranian state radio, according to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khatami\u2019s remarks underscore what many conservatives have long argued: Iran\u2019s leadership is not a conventional government but a revolutionary theocracy that rules through intimidation, mass arrests, and violence\u2014especially when faced with internal dissent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khatami also aimed his threats at President Donald Trump, who has warned the Iranian regime that executions of demonstrators would cross a red line that could trigger a U.S. military response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khatami described the demonstrators as \u201cbutlers\u201d of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and \u201cTrump\u2019s soldiers,\u201d accusing both men of \u201cdisintegrating the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey should wait for hard revenge from the system,\u201d Khatami said of Netanyahu and Trump, per the AP. \u201cAmericans and Zionists should not expect peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Republican-leaning Americans who view Iran as the world\u2019s leading state sponsor of terror, Khatami\u2019s comments serve as another reminder that Tehran\u2019s ruling clerics continue to treat the United States\u2014and Trump in particular\u2014as an enemy to be threatened, not a partner for diplomacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The comments come amid renewed concerns over inflammatory messaging carried by Iranian state media. Iran\u2019s government-controlled television networks\u2014which operate as propaganda arms of the regime\u2014have repeatedly aired hostile messaging targeting the United States and Israel, including threatening rhetoric directed at President Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran\u2019s state broadcasters have often been used to amplify the regime\u2019s \u201cDeath to America\u201d ideology, glorify attacks against U.S. interests, and signal the leadership\u2019s intent to retaliate against Western pressure. That same infrastructure is now being used to justify domestic repression, painting protesters as foreign agents rather than Iranian citizens demanding freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khatami\u2019s call for executions followed remarks earlier this week from Iran\u2019s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, who urged rapid action against protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,\u201d Mohseni-Ejei said, according to The Associated Press, citing a video from Iranian state television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn\u2019t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His statement reflects a familiar authoritarian playbook: move quickly and harshly to crush resistance before it spreads\u2014through intimidation, public punishment, and fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian shopkeeper Erfan Soltani was expected to be among the first to face the death penalty, but the Trump administration said hundreds of executions were halted following the president\u2019s intervention. Trump on Wednesday said he\u2019d been told by good sources that Iran would not proceed with executions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, Trump canceled talks with Iranian leaders and issued a blunt message of support to demonstrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING \u2013 TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!\u201d he wrote in a Truth Social post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president has said any acts of violence against protesters would draw a \u201cstrong\u201d response from the U.S., while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters \u201call options remain on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To Republicans who supported Trump\u2019s maximum-pressure strategy, the moment is being viewed as a test of whether deterrence still works: the U.S. draws a clear line, and hostile regimes back down when they believe America is serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported 2,797 deaths in Iran amid the government crackdown as of Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hard-line Iranian cleric close to the regime, on Friday openly called for the execution of protesters in Tehran as the Islamic Republic intensifies its crackdown on demonstrations spreading through the capital. \u201cArmed hypocrites should be put to death!\u201d Khatami declared in a sermon broadcast on Iranian state radio, according to The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1355,26,29,27],"tags":[1605,8,334,725,93,669,745],"class_list":["post-11327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-security","category-news","category-politics","category-world","tag-assassination-threat","tag-donald-trump","tag-foreign-affairs","tag-iran","tag-media","tag-political-violence","tag-protests"],"yoast_head":"\n