Piers Morgan panel erupts in fiery clash after guest is accused of spreading ‘Jihadi Islamist propaganda’
A tense debate over Iran turned confrontational on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” after Iranian-born former Canadian politician Goldie Ghamari accused “The Young Turks” host Cenk Uygur of spreading “jihadi Islamist propaganda” during a roundtable on anti-regime protests and U.S. policy.
The political commentators appeared on Morgan’s show Tuesday to discuss widespread anti-regime protests in Iran that have resulted in a deadly crackdown by the government and internet blackouts, according to human rights activists.
President Donald Trump has threatened action against the regime, warning Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
Uygur warned against American intervention, arguing it would be counterproductive and risk repeating past foreign policy failures.
IRAN SHUTS DOWN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
“And I guarantee you that both Israel and America do not want democracy in Iran,” he said. “What they want instead is a puppet leader. So, they will bring in the former shah, a king, a dictator who will do everything that Israel wants, and then the Iranian people will revolt against him, and then we’ll go through the cycle again and again and again.”
Ghamari sharply responded, arguing Uygur did not understand the plight of Iranians. As she began her response, the two quickly started interrupting each other.
“I mean, first of all, Cenk is not Iranian, so he has no idea what’s going on in occupied Iran,” Ghamari said. “Pretty sure Cenk doesn’t speak Persian either.”
Uygur cut in to correct Ghamari with, “No, actually, it’s Farsi.”
IRAN ALLEGEDLY AIRS 97 ‘COERCIVE CONFESSIONS’ AMID RECORD-BREAKING NORTH KOREA-STYLE INTERNET BLACKOUT
“Persian is the English word for Farsi,” she retorted. “So, don’t correct me when I’m speaking, and don’t interrupt me. I let you speak your garbage jihadi Islamist propaganda.”
Ghamari responded that Uygur did not have the right to interrupt her as she spoke “on behalf of 90 million Iranians,” and the back-and-forth continued.
“You’re not speaking on behalf of all Iranians,” Uygur said, before asking Ghamari when she was elected by the people of Iran.
“Yes I am,” she responded.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
“Why are you speaking over me?” Ghamari repeated before slamming Uygur’s comments again as “garbage propaganda.”
Uygur disputed that she spoke for Iranians, and the exchange continued as Morgan attempted to move the discussion forward.
After the interruption-heavy exchange, Ghamari went on to argue that the 1979 Iranian Revolution was “not actually a revolution,” calling it “an Islamic coup d’état” and saying Iranians were trying to “rectify” what she described as a decades-long mistake.
She also referenced exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi, arguing the country should “return our king,” and described Iran as a “constitutional monarchy” prior to 1979.
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
Ghamari did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Uygur mocked Ghamari’s claim that he was spreading Islamist propaganda in a comment to Fox News Digital.
“That’s hilarious. I’m atheist,” he said. “These propagandists will say anything to drag America into a war. If Israel wants this war, why don’t they pay for it and fight it themselves? We should stop fighting Israel’s wars for it. We should stand up for American interests instead.”
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into an 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
On Thursday, supporters of the Iranian regime chanted “death to America” and held signs calling for the assassination of President Trump.
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US sending military assets to Middle East as Trump weighs Iran strike, sources say
At least one U.S. aircraft carrier is being moved toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to build, military sources confirm to Fox News.
It is not yet clear whether the carrier is the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week. Transit to the region is expected to take at least a week.
U.S. military assets from air, land and sea are expected to flow into the region in the coming days and weeks to provide the president with military options should he decide to carry out strikes against Iran, sources said.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
The movements are part of what officials described as a process of “setting the force.”
One well-placed source said if the president decides to carry out military action, “This will be different, more offensive.” The source said U.S. military planners are preparing a range of options that would depend on how Iran’s regime acts in coming days.
U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News there are currently about 30,000 U.S. troops assigned to the U.S. Central Command region. There are no U.S. aircraft carriers or carrier strike groups operating in the CENTCOM area at this time.
IRANIAN PROTESTERS HOLD TRUMP ASSASSINATION PHOTO, CHANT ‘DEATH TO AMERICA,’ STATE MEDIA REPORTS
The current U.S. naval presence in the region includes three destroyers and three Littoral Combat Ships. Three U.S. aircraft carriers are currently deployed elsewhere, officials said: The USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan; USS Abraham Lincoln in the INDOPACOM area; and USS Gerald R. Ford in the SOUTHCOM area.
Two additional carriers near Norfolk and San Diego are not actively deployed.
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Missile defense systems are also expected to be sent to the region to bolster the defense of U.S. bases and Israel. The systems would include missile defense assets, according to sources.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Pompeo says Iranian regime has arrived at ‘natural terminus’: ‘Let’s not waste this historic opportunity’
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted in a Thursday post on X that the regime in the Islamic Republic of Iran has arrived at “its natural terminus” and cautioned against squandering the “historic opportunity.”
“The Iranian regime has reached its natural terminus. The government has zero legitimacy, is weaker than ever, and has run the economy into the ground. With sustained pressure, we could see an end to this evil, anti-American dictatorship. Let’s not waste this historic opportunity,” he declared in the post on X.
Pompeo served as CIA director, and then as Secretary of State, during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
IRAN PROTESTS INSTIGATED BY ISRAEL TO DISTRACT FROM GAZA ‘GENOCIDE,’ COLUMBIA PROFESSOR CLAIMS
Trump has been expressing his support for Iranian dissidents and promising U.S. assistance.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” he declared in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, using the acronym that stands for “Make Iran Great Again.”
TRUMP SAYS EXILED IRANIAN PRINCE ‘SEEMS VERY NICE,’ DOUBTS WHETHER HE HAS BACKING TO LEAD THE COUNTRY
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton warned that if Trump does not take action, his credibility will suffer damage.
“It will be a blow to Trump’s credibility if the United States does nothing in Iran. He drew red lines and the regime crossed them,” Bolton asserted in a post on X.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES ‘ISRAELI PLOT’ AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
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Bolton, who served as national security advisor during a portion of Trump’s first term, had previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during part of President George W. Bush’s second term.
Bolton has both praised and criticized Trump since leaving his first administration. He was indicted in October on charges related to the improper handling of classified materials.
Iranian protesters hold Trump assassination attempt photo, chant ‘death to America,’ state media shows
Pro-regime demonstrators in Iran chanted “death to America” and held signs calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump, images from Iranian state television showed Thursday.
The footage came from an event held at Tehran University that was organized by the government. Several protesters held photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while some brought makeshift signs featuring photos of Trump after the failed assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania.
Multiple signs featured Arabic text translating to “This time there will be no error.”
Another sign showed the same photo with a caption in English, “The arrow doesn’t always miss.”
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
The protest event comes as the Iranian regime contends with widespread unrest due to the country’s economic crisis.
Humanitarian groups estimate that Iranian forces have killed over 2,000 protesters, though the true number could be far higher.
Iran appeared to reopen its airspace Thursday after a sudden overnight closure disrupted flights across the region.
IRAN SHUTS DOWN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
The overnight closure lasted around five hours after a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, was issued, according to the aviation risk-monitoring site Safe Airspace.
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday he was informed the killing of protesters in Iran was “stopping.”
“We have been notified and really strongly, but we’ll find out what that all means. But we’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping,” he said.
IRAN ALLEGEDLY AIRS 97 ‘COERCIVE CONFESSIONS’ AMID RECORD-BREAKING NORTH KOREA-STYLE INTERNET BLACKOUT
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into an 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
The group’s aggregated figures showed 617 protest gatherings in 187 cities across the country, the arrest of at least 18,470 people and the confirmed deaths of 2,615 individuals.
HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children under the age of 18.
Trump has threatened action against the regime, warning Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
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“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote on New Year’s Day.
Trump says exiled Iranian prince ‘seems very nice,’ doubts whether he has backing to lead the country
President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. “And we really aren’t up to that point yet.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me,” he added.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING’ MOMENT
Trump has yet to take a clear stance on Pahlavi since protests erupted in Iran late last month. On Jan. 8, during an interview with Hugh Hewitt, Trump said that he was unsure about meeting with Pahlavi amid the unrest in Iran, saying it might not be “appropriate.”
“I’ve watched him, and he seems like a nice person, but I’m not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as president,” Trump said. “I think that we should let everybody go out there, and we see who emerges.”
Pahlavi has made repeated appeals to Trump amid the raging protests in Iran. On Jan. 9, after the Islamic regime instituted a sweeping internet blackout, Pahlavi posted “an urgent and immediate call” to the president on X, urging him to “be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran.”
TRUMP SAYS THE US WILL TAKE ‘VERY STRONG ACTION’ AGAINST IRAN IF THE REGIME STARTS HANGING PROTESTERS
The exiled crown prince made a similar plea during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.” He issued a message directly to Trump while speaking with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo.
“You have already established your legacy as a man committed to peace and fighting evil forces,” Pahlavi said on “Sunday Morning Futures.” “There is a reason why people in Iran are renaming streets after your name. They know that you are totally opposite to Barack Obama or Joe Biden. They know you’re not going to throw them under the bus as they have had before.”
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While Trump has publicly expressed his hesitation toward Pahlavi, there was reportedly a meeting between the exiled crown prince and high-level U.S. officials. The meeting was first reported by Axios and allegedly included White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The outlet noted that Pahlavi is trying to position himself as a “transitional” leader in the event that the regime falls.
Pahlavi is the son of Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled the country for decades before being overthrown during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, during which time his family was forced to flee the country. The crown prince lives in exile to this day, unable to return to Iran.
Driver of U-Haul truck that entered Iran protest crowd speaks out: ‘All I want is peace’
The driver of a U-Haul truck that drove through protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime in Los Angeles on Sunday claims that police waved him onto the street full of protesters, and that he had never meant to hurt anyone.
Calor Madanescht, 48, was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on suspicion of reckless driving following the incident.
“I had no intention to hit anybody,” Madanescht told FOX11 Los Angeles.
Madanescht said an LAPD officer waved him onto the avenue, where he intended to join the protest. However, he claims a pro-Shah group began to attack him.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
“I was really afraid for my life,” he said, adding that some protesters helped clear a path so he could drive away. “They were telling me, ‘Go, go,’ and they opened the path, as you see in the video.”
Video online appears to show the U-Haul truck moving quickly through a dense crowd as people screamed along Veteran Avenue near the Federal Building in the Westwood neighborhood. A banner on the side of the truck read, in all capital letters, “NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON’T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH.”
“All I want is peace and human rights for everyone in Iran and for minorities,” Madanescht said.
GRAHAM SUGGESTS TRUMP ‘HELP’ IRAN PROTESTERS WITH ‘MILITARY, CYBER AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACKS’ AGAINST REGIME
Madanescht said that once he pulled over, other demonstrators began to attack him. He showed the outlet a bandaged hand, a cut on his ear, bruises and black eyes.
Another video shows the crowd of people running toward the truck and surrounding it as people can be heard chanting at the driver behind the wheel. One member of the crowd climbed onto the truck and stomped on its windshield. Others stuck flagpoles through an open passenger-side window, appearing to jab the suspect.
During Madanescht’s interview with the outlet, two men who were at the protest gave their accounts of what happened.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING’ MOMENT
“They kept punching him, hitting him,” said one of the men, identified as Mehdi. “They broke the window, kicked the truck, assaulted him, and he has a right to free speech.”
The other man questioned Madanescht’s claim that LAPD had waved him onto a street that was occupied by demonstrators.
But Madanescht maintained that his intentions for being at the protest were only peaceful.
“The reality is I peacefully came, cooperated with LAPD, and I’m deeply grateful for them,” he said. “They deserve the highest praise for putting their lives on the line to save mine.”
The protest comes amid ongoing unrest in Iran, where demonstrations that began over economic grievances have spread nationwide, evolving into a direct challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership.
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The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said at least 18,470 people have been arrested and confirmed the deaths of 2,615 individuals. HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children under the age of 18.
Iran appears to reopen airspace after Trump says killing is ‘stopping’
Iran appeared to reopen its airspace on Thursday after a sudden overnight closure disrupted flights across the region, even as airlines largely continued to avoid the country amid heightened security warnings and ongoing regional tensions.
The overnight closure lasted around five hours after a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, was issued, according to the aviation risk-monitoring site Safe Airspace.
Safe Airspace warns that the main danger for civil aircraft in Iranian airspace is misidentification by air defense systems during heightened tensions, rating the overall risk level currently as “One — Do Not Fly.”
TRUMP SAYS THE U.S. WILL TAKE ‘VERY STRONG ACTION’ AGAINST IRAN IF THE REGIME STARTS HANGING PROTESTERS
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that he was informed the killing of protesters in Iran was “stopping.”
“We have been notified and really strongly, but we’ll find out what that all means. But, we’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping,” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., disagreed with Trump, writing on X that every indication he’s seen shows that the Iranian regime’s killing of anti-government protesters is “still very much in full swing.”
“The death toll is mounting by the hour. Hoping that help is on the way,” he wrote.
TRUMP ENVOY REPORTEDLY MEETS WITH EXILED IRANIAN PRINCE AS REGIME FACES PROTESTS
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said on Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into the 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
The group’s aggregated figures showed 617 protest gatherings in 187 cities across the country, the arrest of at least 18,470 people and the confirmed deaths of 2,615 individuals.
HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children under the age of 18.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES ‘ISRAELI PLOT’ AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
Trump has threatened action against the regime, warning Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote on New Year’s Day.
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The president said on Tuesday that he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials and called on protesters to “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!”
“Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote, adding, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
My father gave his life for Iran — today’s protesters are living his dream
I was in my mother’s womb when the Islamic Revolution of 1979 shattered my family’s homeland, forcing us into exile. Like so many Iranians, my country was stolen from me before I could even take my first breath. But my connection to Iran is not just a matter of heritage; it is written in blood. My father, Gen. Gholam Ali Oveissi, the former commander in chief of the Imperial Army, was a patriot who loved his people and died defending them against the tyranny of Ayatollah Khomeini. In 1984, he was assassinated in Paris for his loyalty to the Shah and his refusal to bow to the new regime.
For decades, families like mine have carried the weight of displacement and loss, watching from afar as a nation that was once on a trajectory toward becoming a global superpower was hijacked by mismanagement and ideological rule. But today, the tide is turning. After 47 years of oppression, corruption and fiscal incompetence, the people of Iran — driven by a courageous younger generation — have had enough.
This uprising is about more than just the collapse of an economy, though the financial devastation is undeniable. The Iranian rial has plummeted to historic lows, and inflation now exceeds 40%. Food prices have skyrocketed by more than 70% in a single year, leaving more than a third of the population below the poverty line. While the regime diverts billions of dollars to fund terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Iranian people suffer from negative GDP growth and crumbling infrastructure.
IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’
Unemployment has destroyed the hope of an entire generation, and the regime’s response has been to pillage natural resources, selling them at a discount to China and Russia while the people face water shortages and total systemic neglect.
However, the protests rocking Iran are not merely cries of hunger; they are cries for identity. The youth of Iran has reached an inflection point, realizing what the Pahlavi era truly represented: a time when Iran was a center of stability and prosperity in the region.
TRUMP TOLD IRAN HAS HALTED KILLINGS AMID MOUNTING PROTEST PRESSURE
They are not chanting religious slogans. Instead, they are chanting for Western values — freedom, prosperity and an end to oppression. They are rediscovering a pride in their Persian heritage, which dates back to 550 B.C. When asked where they are from, they proudly answer, “I am Persian,” rejecting the identity imposed on them by the Islamic Republic.
At the heart of this movement is a longing for the return of the Pahlavi vision. Reza Pahlavi has emerged organically as the voice of these disenfranchised people. He is not a leader positioned by foreign actors; he is the name the people are chanting for in the streets. They remember — or have learned of — an era when women were treated with respect and reciprocity, when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace, and when the leadership invested in the future of its students.
Reza Pahlavi supports a nationally elected referendum for a constitutional monarchy, modeled after the United Kingdom, which would preserve our national identity while ensuring democratic governance.
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Crucially, the Iranian people look to the United States as a beacon of hope. Contrary to the regime’s propaganda, the majority of Iranians love, admire, and support America. They are particularly grateful to President Donald Trump, whose bold leadership has provided a roadmap for confronting tyranny.
His actions in Venezuela — specifically the pressure placed on the illegitimate Maduro regime — have given fuel to the protesters in Iran. President Trump’s willingness to hold rogue leaders accountable offers hope that the United States will not stand idly by while the Iranian regime slaughters its own citizens.
The role of the West is vital in this struggle. Media coverage from outlets like Fox News has been essential in breaking the silence, but more Western media must shine a light on this revolution. Technology has also become a lifeline; acts like Elon Musk’s provision of Starlink have been critical in bypassing censorship. The symbolic return of the original Sun and Lion flag on social media, promoted by figures like Musk, sends a powerful message that the spirit and glory of our rich culture is rising again.
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I am eternally grateful to the United States for providing my family with political asylum and allowing me to become a citizen of the greatest country in the world. But as an Iranian American, I know that a free Iran could be one of America’s most important allies and a stabilizing force in the Middle East. Iran was once a close partner of Israel — and could be again.
The coming days are critical. The regime will likely respond with the same violence that killed my father and hundreds of thousands of others. The United States must make it clear that mass killings will not be tolerated and must hold this government accountable for its human rights abuses. The people of Iran are ready to reclaim their future. The question is whether the free world will stand with them.
Lindsey Graham calls for US to use ‘any means necessary’ to stop the people behind the killing of Iranians
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina declared in a Wednesday post on X that the U.S. should utilize “any means necessary” to stop the individuals “responsible for killing” Iranians.
“People often ask me what should we do next when it comes to the murderous, religious Nazi regime in Iran. It’s pretty simple. Stand by the protesters demanding an end to their oppression. But it’s going to take more than standing by them. We must stop those who are responsible for killing the people by any means necessary ASAP. Make The Iranian People Safe Again,” the hawkish lawmaker said in the post on X.
Protesters in the Islamic Republic of Iran have been met with a deadly crackdown.
“We have been informed by very important sources on the other side, and they’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place,” President Donald Trump said on Wednesday afternoon, noting, “we’ve been told on good authority. And I hope it’s true.”
GRAHAM SUGGESTS TRUMP ‘HELP’ IRAN PROTESTERS WITH ‘MILITARY, CYBER AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACKS’ AGAINST REGIME
But in a Wednesday night post on X, Graham said, “Every indication that I’ve seen says that the Iranian regime’s killing of protestors is still very much in full swing. The death toll is mounting by the hour. Hoping that help is on the way.”
President Trump has been declaring his support for Iranian dissidents and promising that help is coming.
TRUMP TOLD IRAN HAS HALTED KILLINGS AMID MOUNTING PROTEST PRESSURE
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” the U.S. commander in chief declared in a Tuesday Truth Social post, using an acronym to abbreviate the phrase “Make Iran Great Again.”
Graham, an advocate for U.S. intervention against the Iranian regime, shared a screenshot of the president’s post and discussed the issue.
“The tipping point of this long journey will be President Trump’s resolve. No boots on the ground, but unleashing holy hell — as he promised — on the regime that has trampled every red line. A massive wave of military, cyber and psychological attacks is the meat and bones of ‘help is on the way,’” Graham declared in the post.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES ‘ISRAELI PLOT’ AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
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“What am I looking for? Destroy the infrastructure that allows the massacre and slaughter of the Iranian people, and take down the leaders responsible for the killing,” he noted.
Armed Kurdish fighters try to breach Iran border as regional threat grows amid protests: reports
Armed Kurdish separatist groups tried to cross into Iran from Iraq in recent days, stoking fears that the country’s spiraling unrest has attracted dangerous foreign militants who could destabilize the wider region, according to reports.
Iranian officials said the attempted breach came amid a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests against the country’s regime, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leading the response, Reuters reported.
The Tasnim News Agency also reported armed militia groups operating in Iraq crossed the border in western and northwestern Iran, according to Middle East Monitor.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES ‘ISRAELI PLOT’ AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
Reuters had reported that three sources, including a senior Iranian official, said Turkey’s intelligence agency, known as MIT, warned the IRGC that Kurdish fighters were trying to cross the Iran-Iraq border.
The Iranian official said clashes also broke out after the attempt to cross and accused the fighters of trying to exploit the unrest and create further instability.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, around 30 million Kurds live in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘STARTING TO’ CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Turkey has designated Kurdish militant groups in northern Iraq as terrorist organizations and has carried out cross-border military operations against them. The Turkish military has also targeted PKK bases in Iraq.
In 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said it would disarm and end its decades-long battle against Turkey.
Reuters said MIT and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office did not comment on the Iran crossing, though it warned that any interference in Iran would inflame regional crises.
‘LEAVE IRAN NOW’: US EMBASSY POSTS WARNING TO AMERICANS STILL IN THE COUNTRY
Iranian authorities alleged the fighters were dispatched from Iraq and Turkey and said the Iranian regime has asked both governments to stop any transfer of fighters or weapons into Iran.
The number of deaths during the crackdown on protesters rose to at least 2,571 on Wednesday, accordin g to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told the killings had halted, and he believes there is no plan for large-scale executions.
Asked who told him, Trump said they were “very important sources on the other side.”
Iran closed its airspace to most flights Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, with the closure lasting a little more than two hours.