US Senator Ted Cruz (R‑TX), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Sunday that he supports potential US military action against Iran - but only after all non‑military measures targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been exhausted.
“I think the US should be taking every step possible to end this regime," Cruz said in an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.
Cruz emphasized that Washington still has significant tools available before considering military force and urged stronger backing for the mass anti‑government protests sweeping Iran.
“I hope and believe that America is doing everything we can to support the protesters. There are lots of steps we can and should be taking short of a bombing strike," he said.
His comments came one day after President Donald Trump called for “new leadership" in Iran during an interview with Politico, describing Iran’s Supreme Leader as “a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people".
Cruz said Trump’s statement marked a major shift. “In the last two days a really important step occurred where President Trump came out unequivocally and said it is time for new leadership in Iran," he said, calling the development “massively important."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday responded to Trump’s comments and warned that any attempt to target Khamenei would amount to a declaration of war.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian wrote: “An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation."
Tensions between Iran and the US have been high in recent weeks, amid the deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters and Trump’s threats to hit Iran hard if protesters are killed.
While at one point on Wednesday, tensions seemed to be at their highest and US action in Iran seemed imminent, matters later calmed as Trump claimed that the killing of protesters had ceased.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that late on Wednesday morning, much of the Middle East and official Washington believed Trump was on the verge of ordering punishing US airstrikes against Iran, but Trump ultimately called off the strikes after he received word through envoy Steve Witkoff that Iran had canceled the planned executions of 800 people.