Regime change in Iran is 'unacceptable', Kremlin warns, as Israel says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'cannot continue to exist'
20 June 2025, 08:32
The Kremlin has declared the idea of regime change in Iran “unacceptable” after Israeli officials said the country’s supreme leader “cannot continue to exist.”
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
It comes after Donald Trump said he will make a decision whether the US will enter the Israel-Iran conflict "in the next two weeks."
This week, Israeli officials have begun suggesting they intend to topple Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said: "A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, cannot continue to exist."
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran’s government may fall as a result of Israel’s war.
Read more: Trump gives two-week window for peace talks as Iran and Israel launch further strikes
Footage shows moment missile strikes Israeli hospital
But Russia has branded this notion “unacceptable” as fears of a regional war in the Middle East grow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Russia would react “extremely negatively” if Khamenei were killed.
"The situation is extremely tense and is dangerous not only for the region but globally," he told Sky News.
"An enlargement of the composition of the participants of the conflict is potentially even more dangerous.
"It will lead only to another circle of confrontation and escalation of tension in the region."
"Regime change in Iran is unimaginable. It should be unacceptable, even talking about that should be unacceptable for everyone," he added.
Speaking from Washington on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged the public to "trust in President Trump".
Reciting words from the President from the White House briefing room, Leavitt continued: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks.”
It comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel following ongoing retaliatory strikes.
The press conference saw the White House halt speculation surrounding potential US involvement in the conflict, with Leavitt repeating the 'two week' response to all questions on potential military involvement.
Reports emerging on Thursday had suggested Trump had enetered the "situation room" with leading advisors to assess US options on entering the conflict.
![Sir Keir Starmer has called on Vladimir Putin to "stop dragging his heels and get to the [negotiating] table", as Trump calls the Russian president "misguided."](https://images.lbc.co.uk/images/734580?width=320&crop=16_9&format=webp&signature=hCtUT-QBb1QuxMxVTF6Ch2nl6Ow=)
