A former U.S. ambassador to Israel has issued a dramatic prediction, claiming that President Donald Trump may attempt to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in the coming days.

Dan Shapiro, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel during the administration of former President Barack Obama, made the assertion in a post on X amid escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

The remarks follow recent mass anti-government protests across Iran, during which Khamenei publicly blamed Trump for violence and unrest. They also come after Trump said in an interview that Iran needs new leadership and described the 86-year-old supreme leader as a “sick man.”

“Trump’s comments to [Politico] on needing new leadership in Iran, and Khamenei’s mindless baiting of Trump on X, lead me to believe that Trump is going to try to kill the Supreme Leader this week,” Shapiro wrote. “There will soon be a US carrier strike group in the Middle East, making it easier for the US to carry out extensive strikes in Iran and be prepared to defend against Iranian response strikes.”

Shapiro added that the United States could also strike other Iranian military targets, arguing that such action “would allow Trump to say he is keeping faith with Iranian protesters he encouraged, and fulfilling his threat to make the regime pay for massacring them.” Thousands of protesters have reportedly been killed during the unrest.

However, Shapiro cautioned that eliminating Khamenei would not necessarily lead to regime change.

“Khamenei’s elimination, if it occurs, would most likely be followed initially by an [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] takeover, and a still aggressive and repressive regime,” he wrote. “The change of regime, when it takes place, will be authored by the Iranian people. Supporting them in their quest for freedom will require sustained focus, and largely non-kinetic measures. It will not be achieved by a one-and-done strike.”

Shapiro served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2011 through the end of Obama’s presidency in early 2017. He later held several Middle East–related roles during the administration of former President Joe Biden.

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