On Saturday, January 17, the government of Iran claimed that the United States is making false accusations against the country in its latest attempt to “fuel tensions” in the region. It dismissed the US allegation of attacks on American bases in the region, warning that any move to militarily target Iran would be retaliated.  The comments were made by the spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baghaei, in a press conference in response to a post on the US Deparment of State’s Farsi page, claiming Iran is preparing to launch attacks on its bases in the region.

The US Department of State reiterated threats of striking Iran, saying that “all options remain on the table” and warning Iran not to “play games with president [Donald] Trump.” Trump has been issuing threats of strikes on Iran since the beginning of the year, after protests broke out in the country over economic suffering.

President Trump has also repeatedly threatened the Iranian government not to use force against protesters, whom he even encouraged to occupy institutions, promising “help on its way”. On Sunday, Trump went so far as to accuse Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei of misrule and excessive use of violence against the protesters to stay in power. He also repeated his call for change in the country’s leadership.

The US president’s open support for Iranian protesters and threats of military intervention has invited strong criticism from top Iranian officials, who have claimed that this encouraged the protesters to turn violent, attack public and private property, and to turn the movement into a regime-change mission.

On Saturday, Supreme Leader Khamenei reacted once again to the allegations, claiming that Trump was the main culprit behind the killings and destruction during the protests that took place over the last two weeks.  Although official data is yet to be released, it is speculated that hundreds of people were killed after the nationwide protests over growing economic hardship turned violent in the first two weeks of January.

Trump is responsible for the death and destruction in Iran

Speaking during a religious ceremony on Saturday, Khamenei said that “the US president is responsible for casualties, damages, and false accusations directed against the Iranian nation.” He claimed that the US has been trying to incite violence against the Iranian state for decades. Previously, this was done through misuse of the media and the backing of low-profile politicians. However, this time it was different, he said, as “the president of the US himself intervened, made statements, encouraged the rioters, and even spoke of providing military support.”

Read more: Iran condemns US attempts to exploit protests for political gain, as Trump seemingly backs off military threat

Khamenei said this approach was pursued because “the US cannot tolerate a country with Iran’s characteristics, capabilities, vastness, and scientific and technological progress.” He asserted that authorities would not lead the “country toward war, but we will also not let domestic and international criminals go unpunished.”

On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that Iranians are facing economic hardship. In a post on X, he claimed that this is a result of sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. Pezeshkian also warned the US and Trump against attempting to target the Iranian supreme leader, claiming any attack on Khamenei would be treated as an attack on the whole country.

US withdrawal from Iraqi base welcomed

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Iraq on Sunday. During a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, he expressed satisfaction at the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq’s Ain-al Asad airbase after years of presence. He called it good for regional peace and stability.

As per the agreement reached with the Iraqi government in 2024, US troops pulled out of the airbase last week, handing over control to Iraqi troops. US forces first occupied the base after the 2003 invasion and until 2011. They reoccupied it in 2014 upon returning, in the wake of the emergence of ISIS in the country.

The presence of the US forces in Iraq has been one of the major points of contention with Iran, which has been campaigning for a complete withdrawal of US and foreign troops in the region, describing their presence as a threat to regional peace and security.  Iran has often claimed Ain-al Asad was used by the US to launch attacks inside the country. It had also fired several missiles on the base in January 2020, after the US assassinated General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad.

Araghchi noted that stability in Iraq is a guarantee of security and peace in the region.

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