January 12, 2026 | 06:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted an image on social media on Monday, January 12, 2026, depicting United States President Donald Trump, resembling Pharaoh. As reported by Anadolu, Khamenei warned that Trump will ultimately face the same fate as the tyrants of the past.
The image, shared on Khamenei's official account on the U.S. social media platform X, shows a Pharaoh-style sarcophagus collapsing with Trump's image, accompanied by the caption: "Like Pharaoh."
In a message posted alongside the image, Khamenei wrote that arrogant rulers who sought to dominate the world, such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, and Mohammad Reza, were overthrown at the height of their power.
"This one too will be overthrown," he asserted.
The post comes amid recent threats by Trump against the leadership of Iran, including statements related to protests and internal unrest in the country.
Military Intervention
Trump stated that Washington is considering "strong options" in response to Iran's alleged harsh treatment of anti-government protesters, including the possibility of military intervention.
"We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination," he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night while traveling from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida to Washington, DC.
"There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously," Trump said referring to the Iranian leadership.
He mentioned that the Iranian leadership has reached out, attempted "to negotiate" after his threat of military action, and that a meeting is being arranged.
However, he added that "we may have to act before the meeting."
Iran has been rocked by protests since December 28 in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, due to the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and the worsening economic conditions. The demonstrations later spread to several cities.
There are no official casualty figures, but the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), a U.S.-based human rights group, estimated that the death toll has reached at least 544 people, including security forces and demonstrators, with over 1,000 injured.
HRANA also reported that at least 10,681 people have been detained at 585 locations across the country, including 186 cities in all 31 provinces.
At least 109 Iranian security members also died during the riots that engulfed parts of the country over the past few days, as reported by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel on Sunday, citing Iran's Tasnim News Agency.
Read: Iran Protests Kill Over 500 as Trump Weighs Intervention
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