The Ayatollah Khamenei is in the middle of the most internal strife his nation has experienced since the revolution that put his predecessor in power. That was 46 years ago and today’s protests echo, albeit from the opposite perspective, the conditions that led to the revolution.
It does not behoove America to get involved, but there are many who want to make sure the Ayatollah is removed from power. Among those appears to be President Trump, who has threatened to “hit Iran hard” if they continue killing protesters. Is there another way? Possibly.
Since the premise for capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was his 2020 indictment, America should indict the Ayatollah and many in his government. That may be enough to scare him into leaving Iran for good. He already has an exit plan to go to Russia. Perhaps an indictment could speed him along.
Politicians have been saying for over a decade that Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism, including here in the United States. Surely they have enough evidence of this to put together an indictment that would put the Ayatollah, his family, and members of his government at risk.
Protests erupted across Iran in late December, driven by a currency in freefall and inflation officially at 42.2 percent, though some estimates push it higher. Merchants shuttered shops in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, students rallied on campuses, and crowds swelled in cities like Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashhad. By early January, demonstrations had spread to over 100 locations, with chants of “Death to the dictator” aimed squarely at Khamenei. Security forces responded with tear gas, batons, and live fire, leaving at least 29 dead and over 1200 arrested, according to human rights groups. Iran’s government offered meager $7 monthly vouchers to buy essentials, but protesters dismissed it as a ploy to distract from deeper grievances over corruption and isolation.
President Trump wasted no time weighing in, posting on Truth Social that the U.S. is “locked and loaded and ready to go” if Iran kills peaceful demonstrators. He followed up by vowing to “come to their rescue,” a stark warning that echoed his hardline stance during the 12-day war with Israel in 2025, when U.S. forces helped cripple Iran’s military sites. Iranian officials fired back, accusing America and Israel of stoking the unrest and labeling U.S. bases as targets. Yet Trump’s words seemed to embolden the crowds, with dissidents noting a surge in defiance even in regime strongholds like Qom.
Intelligence reports paint Khamenei, now 86, as increasingly frail, both physically and mentally, since that conflict. Whispers from sources close to Western agencies suggest he’s obsessed with survival, drafting a “Plan B” to flee Tehran for Moscow with his son Mojtaba and up to 20 aides and family members if security forces defect. This mirrors Bashar al-Assad’s escape to Russia in 2024, and it fuels speculation that the ayatollah sees his grip slipping amid economic ruin and fractured loyalties. Protesters, including underground Christians facing routine crackdowns, view this as a moment when truth might prevail over tyranny, much like ancient stories of rulers brought low by their own excesses.
The Maduro parallel offers a blueprint. Indicted in 2020 for narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, the Venezuelan leader evaded justice until a U.S. operation captured him in early 2026, hauling him to New York for trial alongside his wife. That move, built on years of sanctions and bounties, dismantled his regime without full-scale invasion. Applying similar pressure to Khamenei—charging him with terrorism support, human rights abuses, or even ties to illicit networks—could isolate him further, especially with his assets abroad already under scrutiny. It might push him toward that Russian exit, sparing lives while advancing freedom.
America Should Indict the Ayatollah and Watch Him Scurry to Russia on His Own pic.twitter.com/O3gnVdvK4e
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) January 6, 2026
Skeptics point to darker forces at play, with regime mouthpieces claiming Mossad agents orchestrate the chaos, paying rioters to sow discord. While unverified, such narratives hint at how foreign intelligence might exploit Iran’s vulnerabilities, much like during the 1979 revolution’s shadowy alliances. Iranian voices argue these protests stem from genuine despair, not plots, and that indicting the ayatollah aligns with America’s interest in promoting opportunity over oppression. As one dissident put it, “No future for us” under this system.
If indictments follow, they could accelerate the endgame. Khamenei’s theocracy has prioritized ideology and proxy wars over prosperity, leaving millions in poverty while elites hoard wealth. Biblical wisdom warns that pride goes before destruction, and here, a regime built on control faces judgment from its own people. With Trump signaling resolve, the path to a freer Iran might open without boots on the ground—just the weight of justice pushing the ayatollah out the door.
