Iran Warns Attack on Supreme Leader Would Trigger Jihad

Iran has warned that any attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would amount to a declaration of holy war, according to a statement cited by the Iranian Students News Agency on Tuesday.

Iran’s parliamentary national security commission said such an act would provoke a jihad decree by Islamic scholars and a response from «Islam’s soldiers» worldwide.

The warning comes amid rising tensions with the United States following a harsh crackdown on protests inside Iran, after which U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned that Washington could respond.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that French President Emmanuel Macron used a high-profile speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos to warn that Europe must be ready to defend its interests amid rising geopolitical tensions and trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.