'It's time to look for new leadership,' Trump issues statement on Iran
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump called for an end to Iran's ayatollah regime amid the brutal crackdown on mass protests in the country, saying "it's time to look for new leadership," according to Politico.
The US President stated that Iran needs new leadership, as 37 years of rule by the ayatollah regime have pushed the country to the brink. However, mass protests that erupted in Iran over the past 20 days appear to have subsided due to the regime's extreme brutality.
"It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran," Trump said.
Trump's statement came after a series of posts from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blaming Trump for the deaths of thousands of protesters.
"We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation," Khamenei said.
In response, Trump issued statements criticizing Khamenei and his allies for relying on repression and violence. He accused Khamenei of "complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before."
"In order to keep the country functioning, the leadership should focus on running his country properly, like I do with the United States, and not killing people by the thousands in order to keep control… Leadership is about respect, not fear and death," Trump said.
He also directly called the Iranian leader a "sick man" and described Iran as "the worst place to live."
"The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people. His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership," Trump said.
Protests in Iran: What we know
In late December, Iran experienced its largest protests since 2022, initially triggered by a sharp drop in the national currency and a deepening economic crisis. Protesters' demands quickly shifted from economic to political.
The Iranian regime responded with unprecedented brutality, including executions, shootings, and mass killings, while shutting down the internet nationwide. Unconfirmed reports suggest around 12,000 people may have been killed during the protests. Iranian authorities claim the situation is now stabilized and fully under control.
Meanwhile, Trump warned Iran that if the regime began killing civilians, he would respond. He also publicly encouraged Iranians to continue anti-government protests, "seize institutions," and said help for protesters is "on its way." Some Middle Eastern advisors and allies reportedly persuaded Trump to reconsider these plans.
