Overview
- President Donald Trump told Politico it is time for new leadership in Iran and called Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a sick man.
- Former U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro publicly predicted Trump may try to kill Khamenei this week and cited an incoming U.S. carrier strike group.
- Trump had warned he would order strikes if executions of protesters proceeded, then signaled a pullback after reports that 800 planned executions were halted.
- Khamenei posted messages blaming Trump for unrest, casualties, and damage in Iran, and accused the United States and Israel of driving the turmoil.
- News reports have cited thousands of deaths in the crackdown on protests, though figures vary and are reported without independent confirmation in these accounts.