‘A few bullets into that empty skull’: Iran’s Kayhan calls for Trump’s assassination amid escalating tensions

Kayhan further criticized the former US president, claiming, "He makes threats and then backs down," and pointed to the deteriorating state of the US economy under his leadership.

As hostilities between Tehran and Washington escalate, a leading Iranian state-run newspaper has published a shocking call for the assassination of US President Donald Trump, just days after he issued a stern warning to Iran over its nuclear program.

According to The Times of India (TOI), the hardline Kayhan newspaper—widely regarded as a mouthpiece for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—ran an editorial that included a chilling statement: "He's way out of line! Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and he'll be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death."

The statement comes in response to Trump’s March 30 threat in an interview with NBC, where he said, "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," referring to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Kayhan further criticized the US president, claiming, "He makes threats and then backs down," and pointed to the deteriorating state of the US economy under his leadership. The paper added, "Just yesterday, it was announced that his actions have caused $3 trillion in damage to the US economy, American exports are facing serious problems, and top officials in the military, CIA, and elsewhere have either resigned or been dismissed," as quoted by TOI.

Iranian-born Israeli analyst Beni Sabti, a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, told TOI that the Iranian regime appears to be using the global economic backlash against Trump to rally hostility against him. He drew a parallel between the rhetoric in Kayhan and the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie in New York, stating: "They want to unite the world against Trump and want someone to shoot Trump, and also they want to bring the economic issue against him."

Sabti also urged the Trump administration to take legal steps, suggesting it file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council and impose sanctions on Kayhan and its editor, Hossein Shariatmadari.

In response to Trump’s comments, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a counter-warning during a live speech:

"They threaten to do mischief. If it is carried out, they will definitely receive a strong counterattack."