00:00Tensions between Iran and the United States just took a disturbing new turn.
00:20A senior Iranian official has gone on state television
00:24and openly suggested that Iran should capture the U.S. president Donald Trump,
00:30comparing it to what he claims the U.S. once did to Venezuela's president.
00:35The comments come at a moment when the region is already on edge.
00:39Speaking on Iranian state broadcaster IRINN,
00:43hardline ideologue Hassan Rahimpour Asghadi,
00:47a member of Iran's Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution,
00:51used extreme language, calling for Trump to pay the price for Washington's support
00:57of anti-government protests in Iran.
01:00Asghadi claimed that operations inside U.S. territory,
01:04including sabotage and destructive actions, would be permissible,
01:08and said he hoped Trump would be captured either during or after his presidency.
01:14These remarks were broadcast publicly,
01:16and later circulated widely by opposition media and monitoring groups.
01:21It's important to be clear, this was not an official government order or military announcement,
01:27but it does reflect the increasingly radical tone coming from influential figures
01:32within Iran's ideological establishment, especially as the regime faces intense internal and external
01:40pressure. Iran has been rocked by weeks of nationwide protests,
01:45with reports of a brutal crackdown, mass arrests, and thousands killed or detained.
01:50At the same time, the United States has ramped up its military posture in the region.
01:56The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has entered U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility,
02:03a move widely seen as a warning to Tehran.
02:06President Trump has publicly voiced support for Iranian protesters, while sharply criticizing the
02:13Iranian government, fueling anger among hardliners in Tehran.
02:18Other senior Iranian officials have echoed the confrontational tone.
02:22Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Hamid Reza Hajibabaei warned that any U.S. attack, direct or indirect,
02:30would be met with a decisive and immediate response, citing Iran's right to self-defense
02:36under international law. Meanwhile, Iran's allies are weighing in. The United Arab Emirates
02:42says it will not allow its territory to be used for attacks on Iran, while Hezbollah has warned it will
02:49not remain neutral if Iran is targeted. Taken together, this is a picture of escalating rhetoric,
02:56military signaling, and regional anxiety. Asghadi's remarks may be symbolic and extreme,
03:02but they underline just how volatile the moment has become. When words like these are spoken publicly,
03:09especially on state television, they are meant to send a message. For now, there's no indication of
03:16immediate action, but the temperature is clearly rising. With protests raging, warships in position,
03:22and rhetoric hardening on all sides, the risk of miscalculation is real.
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