US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that any attempt to remove Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would lead to deep uncertainty over who would take control of the country, underlining the complexity of regime change in Tehran amid sharply rising US-Iran tensions.
Speaking before a US Senate committee, Rubio stressed that unlike some past interventions, Iran’s political system does not offer a clear or predictable transition of power if the current leadership were to fall. “This is not a frozen dinner, where you put it in a microwave and in two and a half minutes it comes out ready to eat,” Rubio said, adding that “no one knows” who would take over if Iran’s supreme leader and the existing regime were removed.
His remarks come as President Donald Trump has hardened his stance on Iran’s nuclear programme, issuing renewed warnings to Tehran and threatening military action if negotiations fail. Trump recently said a large US naval force, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, was moving toward the region, urging Iran to return to talks and agree to a deal that would prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
Rubio acknowledged that the United States could, if necessary, act to protect American forces and allies in the region, but said he hoped the situation would not escalate to that point. He also noted that forcing regime change in Iran would be far more complicated than in countries such as Venezuela, where the US has previously backed efforts to remove leaders.
Iran, meanwhile, has rejected negotiations under what it describes as military threats. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said talks cannot proceed in an atmosphere of pressure and warned that any US military action would be met with strong retaliation.
Tensions have been especially high since June 2025, when US forces, in coordination with Israel, struck multiple Iranian nuclear facilities. Washington said the strikes significantly set back Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while Tehran has insisted its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.
With neither side showing signs of backing down, Rubio’s comments highlight the risks and uncertainties surrounding any push for regime change in Iran.
