Iranian opposition groups, both within Iran and in exile, have called for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down, citing the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as evidence of his regime’s failure to protect national security.
The demands follow U.S. attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 21, which President Donald Trump claimed “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
Exiled groups, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran and monarchist factions, urged a mass uprising, accusing Khamenei of provoking conflict through nuclear ambitions, per Newsweek. Domestic dissidents, including secular activists, echoed the call, though Iran’s opposition remains fractured. Khamenei, 86, dismissed the strikes as a “criminal” act, vowing retaliation via a trusted aide. His advisor, Hossein Shariatmadari, advocated missile strikes on U.S. Navy ships and closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Public sentiment in Tehran is mixed, with some rallying against foreign aggression, per Reuters. Over 224 Iranians have died in Israeli strikes since June 12. The opposition’s push faces challenges, given the Revolutionary Guard’s grip and Khamenei’s religious edict against nuclear weapons. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for regime change, claimed Khamenei’s ouster would “end the conflict,”.