Iran’s judiciary has declared its intent to prosecute President Donald Trump and Israeli leaders over alleged “crimes” tied to the Islamic regime’s ongoing nationwide unrest. The threat, issued Monday by judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, accuses American and Israeli officials of backing so-called terrorists and inciting protests that have shaken the Iranian regime to its core.
The statement, posted in Persian on the judiciary’s official X account, claimed Iran would pursue Trump and others “through domestic courts and international channels,” calling their actions criminal. “We will not abandon the pursuit and prosecution of the perpetrators of the recent crimes,” it read, vowing accountability for what the regime describes as a foreign plot to undermine its rule.
The threat follows nearly three weeks of mass protests and strikes that have erupted across Iran, largely in response to economic collapse, political repression, and public fury over the regime’s violent crackdowns. Reports indicate that over 16,000 protesters have been killed, with security forces using lethal force, arresting thousands, and imposing sweeping internet blackouts to suppress dissent.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly blamed President Trump for the violence, accusing him of “inciting” protests and calling him “guilty” of causing casualties. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed the accusation, warning that any challenge to Khamenei would be treated as “all-out war.”
Despite the regime’s anti-American rhetoric, observers point to Tehran’s long-standing failures as the root cause of the unrest. Under Khamenei’s rule, the Iranian rial has lost more than 20,000 times its value, while economic corruption and theocratic repression have driven much of the population into desperation.
On Saturday, President Trump responded to the regime’s accusations by calling for “new leadership” in Iran. “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” he said, blaming the regime’s collapse on failed governance rather than outside interference.
The United States has taken concrete steps in response to Iran’s escalating aggression. The Pentagon announced last week that it was redeploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East to bolster U.S. military readiness in the region.
Simultaneously, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled new sanctions targeting senior Iranian officials and financial networks tied to the regime. Bessent described the leadership as “rats fleeing a sinking ship,” accusing them of moving millions abroad while blaming the West for their failures.
The Islamic Republic’s threats against President Trump come as the regime struggles to contain the largest anti-government uprising since 1979. Rather than take responsibility, Iran’s ruling class appears determined to shift the blame—and stir anti-American fervor—as a last resort to cling to power.
