Iran’s judiciary declared it will “pursue” and “punish” President Donald Trump and leaders of the “Zionist regime” for “crimes” linked to fomenting protests, according to the Islamic Republic’s judiciary chief who accused Washington and Jerusalem of backing “terrorists.”
On Monday, Iran’s top judicial authority Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i posted a fiery declaration accusing American and Israeli leaders of direct complicity in recent “crimes,” referring to Iran’s nationwide protests and strikes that have challenged the Islamic theocracy’s grip on power.
The post, written in Persian and shared on the judiciary’s official X account, claimed Iran would pursue prosecution both domestically and “through international channels.”
“The President of the United States, the leaders of the accursed Zionist regime, and other supporters and providers of military and propaganda support to the criminals and terrorists involved in recent events are among the offenders who, in accordance with the extent and scale of their crimes, will be pursued, tried, and punished,” the statement read.
“We will not abandon the pursuit and prosecution of the perpetrators of the recent crimes in domestic courts and through international channels,” he added.
The threat comes after nearly three weeks of unrest inside Iran and a wave of anti-American rhetoric from top officials.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States for Iran’s crises, accusing Washington of imposing “inhumane” sanctions while warning that any challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to an “all-out war” against the Iranian nation. The statement reflects Tehran’s growing effort to rally domestic support around the Supreme Leader while shifting blame for Iran’s internal conflict onto foreign adversaries — particularly the United States.
Over the weekend, Supreme Leader Khamenei directly accused President Trump of inciting violent protests, calling him “guilty” of causing mass casualties and declaring, “The Iranian nation defeated the U.S.”
He also warned that “the U.S. must be held accountable” and predicted that President Trump would be “brought down.”
Since the protests, which began with merchant strikes in Tehran, over 16,000 protesters have reportedly been killed as the regime has imposed nationwide internet blackouts while carrying out mass arrests and lethal crackdowns.
Despite Iran’s attempts to blame Washington, the unrest has been widely attributed to years of economic mismanagement, political repression, and the regime’s failure to stabilize the collapsing rial, which has devalued more than 20,000-fold under Khamenei’s rule.
On Saturday, President Trump publicly called for “new leadership” in Iran, rebuking Khamenei after the Supreme Leader accused him of inciting unrest inside the Islamic Republic. “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump said, charging that the regime’s decay stems from catastrophic governance rather than foreign pressure.
As tensions sharpened, Washington has begun backing its warnings with concrete action across both military and economic fronts.
On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed the redeployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East — part of a broader repositioning of U.S. combat power as regional threats mount and Iran’s internal unrest deepens. Defense officials said the move is intended to ensure rapid response capability amid growing instability tied to Tehran’s conduct.
That military posture has been paired with an intensified economic campaign targeting Iran’s ruling elite.
Also on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sweeping new sanctions against senior regime officials and regime-linked financial networks, warning that Iran’s leaders are “like rats fleeing a sinking ship” as they attempt to move tens of millions of dollars abroad while blaming Washington for the consequences of their own repression and refusal to curb illicit nuclear activity.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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