Khamenei dismissed the mass protests, documented in dramatic eyewitness videos spreading across social media, as “a handful of vandals” who “destroyed buildings” belonging to Iran so Trump would be “pleased” and “feel good,” according to his latest remarks published by Iranian state media, originally in Farsi.

“Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Mr Trump said.

The exiled son of Iran's last shah, who has emerged as a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, made his strongest call yet for the protests to broaden into a revolt to topple the clerical rule...