Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 17, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Khamenei says Iran ‘must break the back of the seditionists’ after unrest
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GooglePARIS, France — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says authorities “must break the back of the seditionists” after a crackdown on a protest wave against the country’s clerical authorities.
“We do not intend to lead the country to war, but we will not spare domestic criminals… worse than domestic criminals, international criminals, we will not spare them either,” he tells supporters during an address marking a religious holiday.
“By God’s grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition.”
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here