Can Trump Tip Khomeini Out?

By
Richard C. Young
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President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Friday, January 9, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

At The Spectator, Jason M. Brodsky explains his plans for Trump to put pressure on the Khomeini regime in Iran. He details a number of steps Trump can take, including:

The first step should be to freeze diplomacy with the Iranian regime. Any entreaties from mediators should be rejected. This alone would narrow the options open to the Islamic Republic’s political elite. As the last four decades of US diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Republic has demonstrated, it is highly unlikely that there will ever be a durable negotiated outcome with Tehran anyway. At the same time, the Trump administration should encourage its allies and partners in Europe and around the world to downgrade their diplomatic ties with Tehran to isolate the regime.

Second, western capitals should begin compiling a package of sanctions against those complicit in human rights abuses. Collective sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader would be a powerful signal to send to the Iranian people. Additionally, individuals like Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad – who has been threatening protesters with the death penalty – should be sanctioned as well. As should Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who have long records overseeing abuses of the Iranian people. Both have served as heads of state bodies which have cracked down on protesters over the years. Ghalibaf, especially, is wildly corrupt and is considered by some to be a candidate to lead Iran should the IRGC mount an internal coup and dislodge Iran’s clerical rule. The West should ensure they too cannot escape unscathed.

Third, the US government should pursue federal criminal indictments against Iran’s supreme leader and his henchmen for terrorism, corruption and human rights abuses. If the United States could indict Maduro, it can indict Khamenei. It is highly unlikely the Trump administration would seize Khamenei like it did with Maduro. But the very existence of an indictment against Khamenei and his lieutenants would put the Iranian elite on edge and delegitimize their rule.

Fourth, the US and its allies should deploy offensive cyber capabilities, covert action and missile strikes against the regime. This should be aimed at preventing Iran from throttling the internet and damaging its surveillance and suppressive apparatus. Iran’s police and IRGC forces – which respond to domestic protests – should be targeted, in particular. Hitting these targets would help even the playing field between the Iranian people, who are largely unarmed, and the regime.

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