The Head of the Snake
War Declaration: Is Trump Planning to Eliminate Ayatollah Khamenei?
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned that any attempt on the life of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would be considered a declaration of total war against the Iranian nation.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have reached a fever pitch following reports that the United States may be considering a direct strike against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These speculations were fueled by comments from former senior American officials and President Trump’s recent calls for new leadership in Iran. In a defiant response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to social media to warn that such a move would trigger a total war, emphasizing that the Iranian people would view an attack on their spiritual leader as an assault on the entire nation. As the United States moves more aircraft carrier strike groups into the Middle East, the world is watching to see if this psychological warfare will escalate into a direct military confrontation.
Threat of Total War and Economic Accusations
President Masoud Pezeshkian responded sharply to the rumors of a planned assassination, stating on the social media platform X that "attacking the Supreme Leader of our country is equivalent to total war against the Iranian nation." He dismissed the idea that the internal unrest in Iran is solely a domestic issue, instead shifting the blame for the country's economic suffering onto the West. "If there is difficulty and hardship in the lives of the dear people of Iran, one of the main factors is the long-standing hostility and the inhuman sanctions of the US government and its allies," Pezeshkian wrote. By linking the survival of the Supreme Leader to the survival of the state, the Iranian presidency is attempting to create a deterrent against any American decapitation strike.
The speculation regarding a move against Khamenei was intensified by former American official Dan Shapiro, who suggested that Trump’s recent rhetoric and Khamenei’s provocations on social media point toward a potential strike as early as this week. Shapiro argued that Trump may see this as a way to fulfill his threats to make the regime pay for its crackdown on protesters. "Trump's comments on the need for new leadership in Iran, and Khamenei's thoughtless provocation of Trump on X, lead me to believe that Trump will try to eliminate the Supreme Leader this week," Shapiro noted. He further explained that the presence of US carrier strike groups provides the necessary firepower to hit command and control centers while defending against Iranian retaliation.
The Long Path to Regime Change
Despite the high stakes of a potential assassination, Shapiro warned that killing Khamenei is not a guarantee of immediate stability or freedom for the Iranian people. He suggested that such a strike, combined with attacks on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia, would allow Trump to claim he is standing with the Iranian protesters, but the aftermath could be messy. "The elimination of Khamenei, if it occurs, will likely initially lead to an IRGC takeover and an aggressive, repressive regime," Shapiro cautioned.
Ultimately, the consensus among many analysts is that while a single strike could cripple the current leadership, true regime change must come from within. Shapiro emphasized that "regime change, when it occurs, will be carried out by the Iranian people. Supporting them on their journey to freedom will require sustained focus. It will not be achieved in a one-time blow." For now, the Iranian regime remains on high alert, holed up in bunkers as the United States continues to build its military presence in the Persian Gulf, leaving the region on the brink of a potential total war.