Graham warns Iranian ayatollah: 'Trump is gonna kill you' if internal crackdown continues

Lindsey Graham

Graham warns Iranian ayatollah: 'Trump is gonna kill you' if internal crackdown continues

South Carolina senator's threat comes as at least 36 people killed in anti-regime protests across Iran

Anders Hagstrom Fox News

Published

January 7, 2026 12:50pm EST

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned Iran's leader that President Donald Trump will "kill" him if the Iranian regime continues to kill protesters in the country.

Graham made the stark threat during a Tuesday night appearance on Fox News, referencing the anti-regime protests raging in Iran. As of Wednesday, at least 36 people have been killed and more than 2,000 have been detained in the unrest.

"To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight," Graham told host Sean Hannity. "We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world."

"And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you," he continued.

IRAN ON THE BRINK AS PROTESTERS MOVE TO TAKE TWO CITIES, APPEAL TO TRUMP

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"Help is on the way," he added in a message for Iranian citizens.

Graham's comments come amid a heated back-and-forth between Trump and the ayatollah's regime.

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Anti-regime protests engulf streets in Tehran on Jan. 6, 2025. (Reuters)

The president wrote on Truth Social, "If Iran shoots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go."

Trump's warning took on a new meaning for Iran following the historic U.S. mission in Venezuela that led to the capture and extradition of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The head of Iran's military threatened preemptive action in response to Trump's "rhetoric" on Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami made the threat while speaking to military academy students, saying, "The Islamic Republic considers the intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation without a response."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks after casting his vote for the presidential runoff election on July 5, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

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"I can say with confidence that today the readiness of Iran’s armed forces is far greater than before the war. If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response, and we will cut off the hand of any aggressor," he continued.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.

Graham warns Iranian ayatollah: 'Trump is gonna kill you' if internal crackdown continues