Republican Senator Lindsay Graham has made a stark call for the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging President Donald Trump to take "strong action" as the Iranian regime's brutal suppression of protests intensifies.
"Kill the Leadership": Graham's Stark Appeal to Trump
In a Sunday interview on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, the South Carolina senator described Khamenei as "the modern-day Hitler" and a "religious Nazi." He directly advised the President to order his killing. "If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people," Graham stated. "You gotta end this."
Graham argued that such a decisive move would embolden the Iranian protesters and could catalyse a transformation across the Middle East. He suggested it could end state-sponsored terrorism from groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and even pave the way for a peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Lavishing praise on Trump, Graham called him "the Ronald Reagan-plus of our time," comparing his rhetoric on Iran to Reagan's famous Berlin Wall speech.
Trump's "Red Line" and a Rising Death Toll
Graham's incendiary remarks came just hours before President Trump issued his own warning, stating that Iran was nearing a "red line." Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump confirmed his administration was "looking at some very strong options" against Tehran, with the military involved in the assessment.
This follows a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces against nationwide protests, which were initially sparked by economic grievances but swiftly evolved into demands for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Khamenei. According to the US-based human rights group HRANA, the death toll has surged past 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 arrests. The number of fatalities reportedly doubled within a 24-hour period as the regime fought to maintain control.
Iranian authorities have cut internet access in a bid to obscure the scale of the violence. Social media footage, however, continues to show widespread defiance, with protesters burning images of Khamenei and waving the pre-1979 Iranian flag.
Human Cost and International Repercussions
The human impact of the crackdown is becoming tragically clear. One victim has been identified as 23-year-old fashion student Robina Aminian, who was shot in the back of the head at close range after leaving college to join a protest last Thursday. Her family was forced to search through "hundreds" of bodies at a makeshift mortuary to find her.
While the Trump administration's discussions are reported to focus on "non-kinetic" options, the State Department has maintained a hardline stance. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has discussed the situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An unnamed source indicated that military strikes against the regime have not been ruled out.
In response, Iranian officials have threatened reprisals for any Western intervention, blaming the US and Israel for instigating the unrest. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, warned the US against a "miscalculation," as fellow lawmakers chanted "Death to America."
As the regime declares three days of mourning and its attorney general labels protesters "enemies of God"—a capital offense—the international community watches to see if Washington's warnings will translate into concrete action.
