One week after Washington abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Lindsey Graham has dropped hints about a regime change in the Islamic Republic.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close associate of US President Donald Trump, has threatened to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs, stating that assistance is on its way for Iranian protesters. Since late December, the Islamic Republic has been engulfed in nationwide turmoil, leading to fatal confrontations with the authorities.
Graham’s statements come just a week after a US incursion in Venezuela and the abduction of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. Political experts have warned that further developments could pose a threat to multiple nations across several continents.
On Saturday, in a post on X, Graham addressed Iranian demonstrators, saying “Help is on the way,” echoing Trump’s most recent public statements. This came just hours after Trump, on his platform Truth Social, made vague remarks indicating that the US is ready to intervene in Iran to support its people’s pursuit of “freedom.”
“When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it implies that the protesters in Iran must overcome the ayatollah,” the senator wrote. “This is the clearest indication yet that he, President Trump, realizes that Iran will never be great as long as the ayatollah and his cronies are in power.”
On Saturday, Graham posted a photo of himself and Trump posing with a ‘Make Iran Great Again’ hat on Air Force One. Trump first used the slogan in June, during the peak of Israel’s 12 – day air campaign against Iran. At that time, he said that if Tehran couldn’t “make Iran great again,” ”regime change” should be considered.
At that time, US forces carried out strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in support of Israel. Tehran retaliated with a missile attack targeting a US base in Qatar, causing no casualties.
Protests broke out in Iran on December 28 after the national currency crashed, causing food and staple prices to skyrocket. The demonstrations rapidly intensified, with rioters reportedly clashing with the police and attacking government buildings throughout the country. Some protesters are reported to be demanding the restoration of the monarchy. The authorities have cut off internet and phone connections across the nation.
According to Time, citing a doctor in the capital, the unrest has so far claimed the lives of over 200 people. Tasnim news agency has reported that at least 25 civilians have been killed by rioters across the country, while six security personnel have died and another 120 have been injured in Fars province.
The Iranian government has accused the US and Israel of fanning the flames of the unrest.