U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed that the time has come for Iran to look for alternative leadership, holding Iranian Supreme Leader “Ali Khamenei” fully responsible for what he described as the “complete destruction” of the country.
In statements to “Politico” after being briefed on posts by “Khamenei” on the “X” platform, Trump stated that “Leadership is not about fear and death.” He added that what is held against “Khamenei,” as the leader of the country, is “the complete destruction of the state and the use of violence at levels never seen before.”
In response to “Khamenei’s” accusations that he incited chaos and caused casualties, Trump clarified that the rulers of Tehran rely on repression and violence to maintain their grip on power, considering that “leadership should focus on managing the affairs of the country properly, not killing thousands of people to maintain power.”
Regarding the recent protests, Trump pointed out that “thousands of protesters have been killed in the past few weeks,” noting that he had previously alluded to the option of military intervention before changing his mind after receiving information that the killings had stopped. He added: “The best decision finally made was not to hang more than 800 people days ago.”
Trump described “Khamenei” as a “sick man,” considering that Iran “has become the worst place to live in the world due to poor leadership,” and affirming that “leadership is based on respect, not on fear and death.”
