A senior U.S. senator has issued a stark warning that President Donald Trump could go as far as ordering the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, if Tehran resorts to brutal measures to suppress ongoing protests.
In an interview with Fox News, influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that if the Iranian leadership turns violently against its own people—who are demanding a better quality of life—the Trump administration would not hesitate to take “extreme steps,” even against the country’s highest authority.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing that Iran could become Washington’s next target after Venezuela. Renowned American economist Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs has warned that President Trump’s intense focus on Tehran could push the world toward a major conflict.
Speaking to India Today Global after testifying at the United Nations Security Council on Venezuela, Sachs delivered a scathing critique of U.S. foreign policy. He dismissed Washington’s claim of upholding a so-called “rules-based order,” arguing instead that such assertions are detached from reality. “The United States has now become a ‘rogue state,’” Sachs said, claiming that military power is being exercised outside constitutional constraints.
Sachs further alleged that nearly eight years ago, Donald Trump had asked Latin American leaders why the United States should not directly attack Venezuela—suggesting that such military planning has been underway for a long time.
His most alarming remarks, however, were directed at the prospect of a military confrontation with Iran. According to Sachs, any attack on Iran would be far more devastating than the situation in Venezuela. He noted that Iran possesses advanced hypersonic missile capabilities and is located in a region where the strategic interests of major global powers are deeply intertwined. As a result, a war there could easily escalate into a global conflict.
Sachs also claimed that a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago around the New Year sent a clear signal that “Iran could be the next target.”
Against this backdrop, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday instructed security forces not to use harsh measures against protesters demonstrating over economic grievances. He urged authorities to clearly distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and armed “rioters.” According to AFP, Pezeshkian’s call for restraint suggests growing concern within the Iranian government that the crisis could spiral out of control.
Sources: India Today, Fox News, Anadolu Agency, AFP.