Tehran, Jan 10 (.) Senior Iranian official and ideologue Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi said on Friday, that Iran should capture US President Donald Trump, much in the same way as he kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in response to Washington’s warnings to Tehran over its handling of nationwide protests.
He said such action could take place during Trump’s presidency or even after, and claimed he personally hoped Trump would be captured.
“Iran must do with Trump what they did to Maduro,” Azghadi said in remarks carried by Iranian media. “Trump must pay the price during or even after his presidency, and I personally hope Trump would be captured.”
Azghadi intensified his rhetoric even further, and suggested that operations inside the US should be considered legitimate, given Washington’s posture.
“Given Trump’s stance, any kind of operation inside US territory, in all its states and cities, including destructive operations like those they carry out here, would be permissible… against American officials and those linked to them,” he said.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over the unrest in Iran, where protests have intensified in recent weeks.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said the US was closely monitoring the situation and warned Iranian leaders against using lethal force on demonstrators.
Speaking to reporters at the White House during a meeting with oil and gas executives, he said the Islamic Republic faced mounting pressure from within.
“Iran is in big trouble,” Trump said, claiming that protesters had taken control of areas previously thought to be firmly under government control.
He warned that Washington would respond if security forces opened fire on demonstrators. “We’re watching very closely, and I’ve said very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” he said.
He added that any US response would not involve deploying ground troops but would target pressure points. “That doesn’t mean boots on the ground. It means hitting them very hard where it hurts,” he said.
He described the protests as unprecedented, saying years of repression had pushed Iranians to the streets, and said he hoped demonstrators would remain safe.
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