Trump Says ‘It’s Time’ To Move Against Iran As Khamenei Fires Back

President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Iran’s leadership, declaring that “it’s time to look for new leadership” in Tehran as the country reels from weeks of deadly unrest and an increasingly hostile war of words between Washington and the Islamic Republic.

In a weekend interview, Trump branded Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a “sick man,” accusing him of presiding over the destruction of Iran through unprecedented levels of violence against his own people.

“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests that activists say have killed thousands.

Trump’s comments came shortly after he was briefed on a series of hostile messages posted to Khamenei’s official X account, which accused the US president of responsibility for the bloodshed. One post claimed Trump was “guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander inflicted upon the Iranian nation,” while another accused him of falsely portraying violent groups as representatives of the Iranian people.

After hearing the statements, Trump doubled down, accusing Tehran’s rulers of killing citizens “by the thousands” to cling to power.

“In order to keep the country functioning — even though that function is at a very low level — leadership should focus on running the country properly, not ruling through fear and death,” he said.

The sharp escalation comes just days after Trump pulled back from authorizing US military strikes on Iran. According to sources, the operation was halted amid warnings it could ignite a prolonged regional war and destabilize the global economy, with little chance of toppling the regime outright.

Despite the pause, the administration has kept pressure high. Earlier this week, Trump warned Iran he was “locked and loaded,” while the White House reiterated that “all options remain on the table.” Iran’s temporary closure of its airspace further fueled speculation that a strike was imminent.

Middle Eastern allies, including several Gulf states, reportedly urged Washington to hold fire, warning that open conflict could spiral rapidly beyond control.

For now, Trump appears to be walking a tightrope — publicly signaling restraint while openly questioning the legitimacy and survival of Iran’s ruling clerics.

Key Takeaways

• Trump says it is “time” for new leadership in Iran, calling Khamenei a “sick man.”

• Iran accused Trump of fueling protests after deadly unrest killed thousands.

• Military strikes were paused, but the White House insists all options remain open.

SOURCE: EXPRESS US

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said,

Oh, the irony..

6 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

Oh, the irony..

None actually. US has not slaughtered thousands of its own people. We have one unemployed woman who was shot after she ignored lawful orders and struck a government agent with her vehicle.

When Donald Trump, said he would “rescue” protesters if Iranian authorities started shooting, Siavash Shirzad believed the US president. The 38-year-old father had seen protests rise up before, only to be brutally crushed by authorities.

But this was the first time in his life that the president of the United States had promised to help demonstrators. Reassured, Shirzad took to the streets, ignoring his family’s warnings and joining the growing crowds. Shirzad was shot at a protest in Tehran and died of his wounds hours later, leaving behind a 12-year-old son.

On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and to “take over your institutions”, telling them “help is on its way”, as reports grew that a strike on Iran was imminent. But just a day later, Trump abruptly did an about-face, telling reporters that he had received assurances that Iranian authorities would not execute anyone, walking back from military intervention in Iran, at least temporarily.

‘He hoped Trump’s help would arrive’: why protesters in Iran feel betrayed | Iran | The Guardian

“Mass arrests are taking place. As soon as Trump’s attention moves elsewhere, the executions will start,” a resident of Tehran said in messages forwarded to the Guardian via an activist.

Mossad and CIA agents on the ground organized the protests. Proof: Once Startlink was cut severing comms between controllers and their assets protests died down quickly. In fact, the latest thousands on the streets were chanting support for Iranian Govt. blaming paid protesters for the carnage.

So the Ayatollah was right about Trump being responsible for the bloodshed. But that aside, Iranians must be beyond stupid or naive or both to not have nuclear weapons by now.

Seems the sanctions are tearing Iran apart.

I thought Obama came up with a no sanctions peaceful

Nnuclear option years ago .What happened.?

2 hours ago, Autocan said:

Once Startlink was cut severing comms between controllers and their assets protests died down quickly.

That's proof there was no more communication between protesters. Not proof of your claim.

trump to check with the "Peace Board" before attacking Iran.

It's the "Revolutionary Guard" that rules the country. They also have massive economical interests. They are able to "self finance". A state within a state. They will hold on to the last before they will give up their privileges.

This (in turn) would mean, to "neutralise" the Revolutiony Guard, it would take an US invasion of the Iran, with "boots on the ground".

Posts with derogatory nicknames, intentional misspellings, or personal remarks will be removed. Spell names correctly for all sides of the debate.

A lot of people would like to see the clerics and the extremists within Iran eliminated once and for all. But the US has a horrific history of intervening in countries over the past 80 years with very little success and oftentimes our adventurism leads to decades of conflict and trillions of dollars wasted. With no improvement at all.

Trump is no doubt the War President and he's itching to get involved and another conflict it's just a matter of when and where. He pretty much said that to the Norwegian PM just yesterday.

According to two European officials, Trump’s message to Gahr Støre read in part: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”

“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” the Norwegian leader said in a statement. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to president Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian government.

https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-us-trump-starmer-9b01eb577363ee6e913722fe3d40d68e

Too late to do anything useful.

Do it Trump! Bomb and then invade Iran. Venezuela too. Stop being a chicken and just do it. Get boots on the ground and show the world how tough the US really is.

🐔 Brawk brawk brawk. All crowing and no action. Tough draft-dodging chicken.

Where are the Epstein files?

Epstein files please