‘Calm them down if you can’: Khamenei mocks Trump amid massive ‘No Kings’ protests across US

(FILES) A handout picture provided by the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office shows him waving during a ceremony on the occasion of 36rd death anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on June 4, 2025.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has taken aim at US President Donald Trump amid the massive “No Kings” protests sweeping across the United States. Mocking Trump’s handling of the growing demonstrations, Khamenei questioned his authority and control at home while criticising his interference abroad.

“If you’re that capable, calm them down, send them back to their residences, and don't interfere in the affairs of other countries,” Khamenei tweeted on Tuesday evening.

The remark came as more than 7 million Americans reportedly joined the “No Kings” demonstrations on October 18, according to organisers. The protests, held across all 50 states at over 2,700 events, targeted Trump’s alleged authoritarianism, corruption, and perceived assaults on democratic institutions. Demonstrators voiced anger over immigration raids, troop deployments in cities, and cuts to key government programmes.

Khamenei’s jab followed his rejection of Trump’s renewed offer for negotiations, which he dismissed as coercive and one-sided. “Trump says he is a dealmaker, but if a deal is accompanied by coercion and its outcome is predetermined, it is not a deal but rather an imposition and bullying,” Khamenei said.

He also criticised Washington’s claims about damaging Iran’s nuclear programme, adding, “The US President proudly says they bombed and destroyed Iran's nuclear industry. Very well, keep dreaming.”

The two countries have been locked in tensions following five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations that collapsed earlier this year, after a 12-day war in which the US and Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.

Within the US, the “No Kings” protests have exposed growing discontent with Trump’s governing style. His deployment of National Guard troops in cities and replacement of senior officials with loyalists have intensified fears of an increasingly centralised presidency.

Republican leaders, however, accused protest organisers of promoting division. House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the demonstrations, calling them “the hate America rally,” while warning that they could fuel political violence after the assassination of right-wing activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk last month.