Iranian lawmakers compare Trump to Pharaoh, praise Khamenei as Moses

During a session of the Iranian parliament on January 19, lawmakers used sharp rhetoric against U.S. President Donald Trump, comparing him to the biblical Pharaoh, while describing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as the prophet Moses.

The statement was read aloud from the parliamentary podium amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian opposition outlet Iran International.

In the statement read aloud, lawmakers claimed that Khamenei would “make Trump and his allies taste humiliation.”

Addressing the U.S. president directly, the Iranian legislators said that the country’s leader would “drown you in the sea of the believers’ and oppressed peoples’ wrath, so that it becomes a lesson for global arrogance.”

Since late December 2025–early January 2026, Iran has been rocked by major anti-government protests sparked by economic hardship and widening to broader political dissent. Security forces have responded with lethal force and sweeping repression, leading to thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests. The death toll is reported in the thousands by both Iranian officials and independent groups.

Amid the unrest, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly condemned the Iranian crackdown and hinted at strong actions against Tehran, including possible military options if executions and state violence continue. Trump also signalled support for Iranian protest movements.

Iran’s leadership, for its part, has responded with hardline rhetoric, accusing the U.S. of instigating unrest and warning against foreign intervention. In mid-January, Iran declared that an attack on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would be considered a declaration of war, underscoring the heightened tensions with Washington.

Despite threats, some steps pointed toward a possible de-escalation or negotiation moment — such as temporary reopening of airspace and U.S. statements suggesting Iran was open to talks — but mutual distrust and domestic pressures have left relations strained.

By Khagan Isayev