Iran regime panics, blames Israel, while Trump pressure exposes Islamist tyranny and Arab silence amid mass killings.
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro has publicly assessed that President Donald Trump may soon attempt a decisive move against Iran’s leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, amid escalating tensions and mass repression inside Iran.
Shapiro cited Trump’s recent remarks about the need for “new leadership” in Iran, combined with Khamenei’s confrontational messaging, as signals that Washington is considering dramatic action. He also pointed to the expected arrival of a U.S. carrier strike group in the Middle East, increasing American military reach while strengthening defensive readiness against Iranian retaliation.
According to Shapiro, any such action would likely be framed by Trump as accountability for the regime’s violent suppression of protesters, whom the U.S. president has repeatedly referenced. However, Shapiro cautioned that removing Khamenei would not automatically bring freedom, warning that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could initially consolidate power, maintaining repression and hostility toward Israel.
Meanwhile, Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating unrest in Iran, deflecting blame for thousands of deaths caused by regime forces. He alleged foreign intelligence involvement while vowing punishment for perceived enemies, reinforcing Tehran’s pattern of massacring its own people and redirecting anger outward.
Analysts note that Iran’s leadership routinely invokes Israel to mask internal failure, while Arab and Islamist actors echo these narratives. Israel, by contrast, remains focused on deterrence and defense as Iran’s rulers lash out to preserve a collapsing grip on power.
