Khamenei today: “We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come.”
He has become so emboldened that he is shamelessly calling the massacre of tens of thousands of Iranians a “celebration.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is speaking like a man who believes he has won. As nationwide protests subside and U.S. threats go unenforced, Iran’s supreme leader has openly branded the mass killing of protesters a “celebration,” boasting that the regime “broke the back of the rioters.” His rhetoric reflects an emboldened regime claiming victory, shifting blame for its own atrocities onto the United States, and signaling to Iranians—and the world—that terror, not restraint, remains the Islamic Republic’s chosen instrument of rule.
Khamenei today: “We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come.” 👇
He has become so emboldened that he is shamelessly calling the massacre of tens of thousands of Iranians a “celebration.” pic.twitter.com/gW3zDzpAps
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) January 17, 2026