It’s Time for New Leadership: Trump Calls for Iran’s Supreme Leader to Step Aside

US President Donald Trump on Saturday openly questioned the legitimacy of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decades-long rule, sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. His remarks came after Iran’s supreme leader accused the American president of instigating violence and unrest during recent protests across the country.

Responding to a series of accusatory posts from Khamenei on social media platform X, Trump told Politico that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.” The statement marked Trump’s most direct call yet for a leadership change in the Islamic Republic.

Although large-scale protests in Iran have largely subsided following weeks of turmoil, Trump’s comments underscored a growing confrontation at the highest political levels. Earlier this month, he had warned of possible US military action after Human Rights organizations reported that thousands of demonstrators had been killed during clashes with Iranian security forces.

In his online statements, Khamenei squarely blamed Trump for the unrest. He accused the US president of responsibility for “casualties, destruction, and slander inflicted upon the Iranian nation.” In another post, Khamenei described Trump’s portrayal of militant groups as representatives of the Iranian people as an “appalling and deliberate falsehood.”

Khamenei further alleged that the United States and Israel were behind the unrest, claiming that groups linked to both nations orchestrated violence, set public property ablaze, and deliberately pushed the country toward chaos. He described these actions as criminal and a grave distortion of Iran’s internal realities.

The protests initially erupted on December 28, 2025, driven by economic hardship, rising prices, and unemployment. Over time, they evolved into broader demonstrations demanding an end to clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. As tensions escalated, Trump repeatedly warned Tehran against executing protesters, stating that the United States would take “very strong action” if mass executions occurred.

On Friday, Trump claimed in a social media post that Iranian authorities had backed down from carrying out mass hangings. Iranian officials later denied the existence of any such plans, insisting that no executions were scheduled.

According to Politico, Trump reacted strongly after reviewing Khamenei’s accusations, charging Iran’s leadership with ruling through fear, terror, and extreme violence.

“As a nation’s leader, what he is guilty of is the total destruction of his country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” Trump said. He argued that leadership should focus on governance rather than repression, adding that killing thousands to maintain control reflected catastrophic mismanagement.

“Leadership is about respect, not fear and death,” Trump stated, emphasizing that stability cannot be achieved through brutality.

Trump went further by declaring Khamenei unfit to govern. He described Iran’s supreme leader as deeply destructive to his own nation, saying that Iran’s deteriorating living conditions were the result of prolonged and failed leadership.

“Because of bad leadership, the country has become one of the worst places in the world to live,” Trump said, reinforcing his view that Iran’s future depends on a fundamental change at the top.