Time for new leadership: Trump wants Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei to go

US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued his most explicit call yet for the removal of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sharply escalating an already volatile exchange between Washington and Tehran. The remarks came in response to a series of online posts by Khamenei accusing Trump of provoking deadly unrest inside Iran during weeks of nationwide protests.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump told Politico, reacting to Khamenei’s statements on X that blamed the US president for violence and instability. The comment marked a clear shift toward overt regime-change rhetoric, even as demonstrations across Iran appear to be losing momentum after weeks of turmoil.

The protests began on December 28, 2025, initially driven by economic grievances before rapidly expanding into nationwide demonstrations calling for an end to clerical rule. Human rights organisations estimate that thousands of protesters have been killed over the past three weeks, a toll that prompted Trump earlier this month to warn of possible military intervention.