US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have called on Iranians to overthrow their government
Representative Mike Turner has stated that the United States is not targeting Iranian leaders nor attempting to replace the Islamic Republic’s government.
On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials.
US President Donald Trump described the operation, named Operation Epic Fury, as a response to decades of grievances and an opportunity for Iran’s anti-government forces to take control of the country—echoing the calls made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The president of the United States indicated that we were targeting the military, military infrastructure and not the regime, and not regime change,” Turner said on Sunday during CBS News’ ‘Face the Nation.’
The legislator, a former senior Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed to him on Saturday that “we did not target Khamenei and we were not targeting the leadership in Iran.”
When asked if this means Israel killed Khamenei without U.S. approval, Turner avoided the question, calling the Iranian leader’s death proof that “it’s better to be a friend of the United States than a murderous authoritarian.”
The White House is set to brief Congress on the operation this Tuesday. The attack took place days before a scheduled debate on a proposed war powers resolution that could have impeded the administration’s plans had it not been delayed. The bill is supported by lawmakers seeking to strengthen Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war.
Trump’s decision to approve a high-risk military operation—contradicting his campaign promises to avoid foreign conflicts—has sparked widespread speculation on American political podcasts about what influenced his choice.
The speculation ranges from a ‘sugar rush’ following the successful abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, to Israel threatening a unilateral strike involving its undeclared nuclear weapons, to blackmail linked to late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a suspected Israeli intelligence asset.