With more than 3,000 people reported dead and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei labelling U.S. President Donald Trump a “criminal,” the current lull appears less like a resolution and more like a pivotal breath before an uncertain next chapter. Khamenei’s Narrative: The “External Plot”In a televised address on Saturday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sought to reframe the internal crisis as a foreign assault. Only days after President Trump warned that “help is on the way” for Iranian dissidents—signalling potential military intervention—he appeared to step back from the brink. In a statement to reporters in Washington, Trump noted that Tehran had reportedly rescinded execution orders for more than 800 detainees. With the Supreme Leader vowing to settle scores and the opposition calling for a second wave, the quiet in the streets of Tehran may be the eye of a much larger storm.

Source: Daily News Egypt January 17, 2026 15:05 UTC