Blistering new editorial from Iran’s top state-controlled newspaper is raising global alarm, openly calling for the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The editorial, published in Kayhan—widely recognized as a mouthpiece for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—didn’t mince words, declaring that “a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his,” in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Iranian terror chief Qassem Soleimani.
The threatening rhetoric arrives as Trump ramps up warnings against the Iranian regime, stating just days ago that if Tehran refuses to dismantle its nuclear program, “there will be bombing.” He also floated the possibility of reimposing severe tariffs if negotiations fail.
But while Trump alludes to talks, the message from Tehran is far more lethal. The Kayhan editorial accused Trump of making hollow threats, blaming his previous administration’s actions for $3 trillion in damages to the U.S. economy, plunging exports, and a wave of resignations from top American agencies. It concluded with an explosive threat that echoes the Islamic Republic’s repeated vows to avenge Soleimani’s death.
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, underscored the gravity of the situation: “Kayhan has repeatedly threatened to assassinate President Trump for years,” noting that the newspaper’s editor is a personal emissary of Khamenei himself. He warned that this kind of incitement “invalidates any Iranian demands for ‘mutual respect’” in future diplomatic talks with the U.S.
Experts are urging the Biden administration to walk away from any potential negotiations until Iran halts its assassination plots targeting American citizens. Brodsky advocated for direct action: sanctions against Kayhan and its editor, Hossein Shariatmadari—steps Canada has already taken. The U.S. Treasury has previously sanctioned other Iranian media outlets, including PressTV and Tasnim.
Iranian-Israeli analyst Beni Sabti believes the regime’s propaganda strategy is clear: “They want to unite the world against Trump and hope someone pulls the trigger.” He likened the campaign to the one that led to the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie in 2022—another example of Iran’s incitement spilling over into real-world violence.
The editorial also doubled down on economic warfare, slamming Trump’s tariff policies while pushing a narrative designed to turn global opinion against him. Sabti warned that Iran’s goal isn’t just revenge, but to isolate Trump diplomatically and economically on the world stage.
The tension has already spilled into legal territory. In November, the U.S. Justice Department revealed it had disrupted a plot orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to assassinate Trump ahead of the 2024 election. According to federal court documents, an Iranian operative was tasked with surveilling and ultimately killing the former president.
Meanwhile, Khamenei remains obsessed with vengeance. In one instance, an animated assassination video depicting Trump’s death was even posted to the Supreme Leader’s official website—a chilling reminder that Tehran’s threats aren’t empty.
As nuclear talks remain in limbo, Iran’s current president Masoud Pezeshkian struck a more diplomatic tone, saying, “We don’t avoid talks,” but stressed that broken promises were the reason for stalled progress. Still, with headlines like Kayhan’s, few in Washington are buying Iran’s claims of goodwill.
