Iran warns US of consequences after Trump labels Khamenei "sick man"

A senior Iranian military official has issued a stark warning of retaliation against the United States following comments by President Donald Trump criticizing Iran’s leadership and calling Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “sick man.”

Speaking at a public event, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, cultural deputy of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, rejected Trump’s remarks and sought to downplay their significance, while simultaneously issuing a forceful threat, Iran International reports.

“We do not take Trump’s noise very seriously,” Shekarchi was quoted as saying. However, he added that any direct threat to Iran’s supreme leader would provoke an overwhelming response. “Trump knows that if a hand is stretched toward our leader, we will not only cut that hand off – we will set their world on fire. This is not a slogan.”

Shekarchi further warned that Iran would leave “no safe place” for its enemies should it come under attack, underscoring Tehran’s readiness to retaliate across a broad front.

Trump’s comments were made on January 17 after Khamenei accused the United States of fomenting protests inside Iran. Responding to those allegations, Trump publicly questioned Iran’s leadership and called for political change in Tehran.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump said. He accused Iran’s rulers of governing through repression and violence, adding: “The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people. Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”

By Vafa Guliyeva