• Senator Lindsey Graham recommends assassinating Iranian leadership during Sunday Morning Futures interview
• Graham labels Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “modern-day Hitler” who Iranian people want removed
• Remarks come as Iran protests escalate with 36 dead and over 2,000 detained amid economic crisis

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) directly advised President Donald Trump on Sunday to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials to end the regime’s violent crackdown on demonstrators. The South Carolina senator made the controversial recommendation during an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

Calling for Regime Decapitation

“If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people,” Graham told Bartiromo, calling Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the “modern-day Hitler” and a “religious Nazi” who the Iranian people would celebrate seeing eliminated. “You gotta end this.”

The senator displayed a black “Make Iran Great Again” hat to the camera during the segment, which Trump had reportedly signed for him last week. Graham argued that removing Khamenei would create conditions for peace in the Middle East, including facilitating a potential agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia while ending what he characterized as state-sponsored terrorism from Hamas.

“If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people. You gotta end this.”

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Graham concluded the segment by calling Trump the “Ronald Reagan-plus of our time” and encouraging him to “end” the Iranian regime entirely. Fox News host Bartiromo had to quickly thank him for appearing as outro music began playing.

Iran Protests Intensify

The remarks come as protests have rocked Iran for two weeks, triggered by severe economic hardship and currency devaluation. At least 36 people have been killed and more than 2,000 detained since demonstrations began last month, according to reporting from Fox News and Reuters. The unrest represents the largest wave of protests since 2022, when demonstrations erupted following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown, with Iran’s attorney general Mohammad Movahedi Azad warning Saturday that anyone participating in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge. The regime has also implemented internet blackouts in attempts to contain the spreading unrest.

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President Trump issued his own warning Friday via Truth Social, writing that “if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Graham’s Earlier Warnings

This is not the first time Graham has warned Iranian leadership. During a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’ Hannity show, Graham issued a direct threat to Khamenei: “If you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you.”

The senator referenced the recent U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as evidence that Trump is willing to act decisively against adversarial leaders. Maduro and his wife were detained in a joint operation and face drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in New York.

Previous Military Action

Trump’s administration has already demonstrated willingness to use military force against Iran. In June 2025, the U.S. conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, launching strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan using massive bunker-buster bombs.

Trump claimed the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, though subsequent intelligence assessments suggested the damage may have only set Iran’s nuclear program back months rather than years. The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that Trump is currently weighing additional military strike options.

Iranian Response

Supreme Leader Khamenei responded Thursday by deriding protesters as “vandals” acting on behalf of Trump. Iranian military officials have warned that continued American threats could result in preemptive Iranian action.

Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami told military academy students Tuesday that “the Islamic Republic considers the intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation without a response.”

Political Context

Graham’s call for targeted assassination of foreign leaders represents an escalation in Republican rhetoric toward Iran. While the senator has long been a vocal advocate for aggressive U.S. military intervention globally, explicitly recommending the killing of heads of state on national television breaks with traditional diplomatic norms.

The Trump administration has focused heavily on Iran policy, with officials characterizing Minnesota as requiring federal intervention for alleged welfare fraud while simultaneously deploying rhetoric suggesting potential military action against Tehran if protest crackdowns continue.

As Iran’s domestic crisis deepens and Trump administration officials openly discuss regime change, will diplomatic solutions emerge or is military confrontation becoming inevitable?

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