Iranian Newspaper Calls for Trump's Assassination Amid Tensions
An Iranian newspaper closely aligned with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has openly called for the assassination of former President Donald Trump, escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
In a provocative move, the Kayhan newspaper, known as the mouthpiece of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, published an article advocating for the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The article, written in Persian, directly references the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump in January 2020, stating, “Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and he’ll be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death.”
This threat comes amidst ongoing friction between the U.S. and Iran, particularly over Iran’s nuclear program and its regional activities. Trump had previously warned of potential military action against Iran if it did not dismantle its nuclear capabilities, a statement that preceded the inflammatory article in Kayhan. The newspaper also criticized Trump’s economic policies, claiming they have caused significant damage to the U.S. economy.
Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, emphasized the seriousness of these threats, noting that Kayhan’s editor, Hossein Shariatmadari, is a personal representative of Khamenei. Brodsky suggested that the U.S. should sanction both Shariatmadari and Kayhan, similar to actions taken against other Iranian media outlets like PressTV and Tasnim.
The article in Kayhan is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of threats against Trump, which have been ongoing since Soleimani’s death. The U.S. Justice Department previously thwarted an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump in the lead-up to the 2020 election, highlighting the real threat posed by such rhetoric.
As tensions continue to simmer, the situation underscores the challenges in U.S.-Iran relations, with threats of violence adding a dangerous dimension to diplomatic efforts.