Trump Calls for New Leadership in Iran as Clash With Khamenei Intensifies

President Donald Trump on Saturday openly called for the end of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 37-year rule, sharply escalating US rhetoric toward Iran’s leadership as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump told POLITICO, responding to a series of social media posts by Khamenei that accused the US president of being responsible for deaths during recent unrest.

Trump’s remarks reflect a significant shift in tone over the past week, during which he alternated between threatening military action, encouraging Iranian protesters to challenge state institutions, and praising Tehran for what he claimed was a halt to mass executions.

From strike threats to praise — and back

According to Trump, US officials presented him with “very strong options” to strike Iran last week after reports indicated that the death toll from the crackdown had reached the hundreds. By Tuesday, as rights groups reported deaths in the thousands, Trump publicly urged Iranians to continue demonstrating.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers… HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

By Friday, however, Trump appeared to soften his position, thanking Iran’s leadership for allegedly canceling more than 800 scheduled executions, a claim he did not support with evidence.

“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump said on Saturday, adding that he had been informed the executions had stopped.

Khamenei blames Trump for unrest

Khamenei, in a series of posts on X, accused Trump and the US government of fueling instability in Iran and directly blamed Washington for the violence.

“We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation,” Khamenei wrote, claiming the US had made “extensive preparations to orchestrate this sedition.”

In another post, he added: “The Iranian nation defeated the US.”

After being briefed on Khamenei’s remarks during his POLITICO interview, Trump responded with a personal attack on Iran’s supreme leader.

“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. “Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”

“The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” Trump added, calling Iran “the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership.”

Thousands reported killed, tens of thousands arrested

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, as well as more than 22,000 arrests during the unrest. These figures could not be independently confirmed.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Trump’s remarks or his rapidly shifting stance on Iran.

Fragile calm, rising regional stakes

The renewed exchange underscores the fragile state of relations between Washington and Tehran, with Trump’s statements oscillating between calls for regime change and restraint on direct military action.

It also follows Khamenei’s recent public declaration that “the Iranian nation has defeated America,” highlighting an intensifying war of words at a sensitive moment for the region.

Iranian officials did not immediately respond to media inquiries regarding the latest statements.

This article was previously published on UAE Moments. To see the original article, click here