Inside Iran’s Uncertain Moment: Why Some Iranians Are Looking to Trump

After Iran’s new supreme leader takes power, Iranian-American activist Moj Mahdara warns the regime may grow even more brutal—and says many Iranians now see Donald Trump as their best hope for change.

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Overnight, Iran installed a new supreme leader: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of longtime leader Ali Khamenei. For many Iranians hoping for reform, the moment felt less like a turning point and more like confirmation that the regime intends to double down.

In my latest interview on The Tara Palmeri Show, Iranian-American entrepreneur and activist Moj Mahdara argues the choice signals the opposite of reform. She describes Mojtaba as a younger, more operationally connected version of his father—someone deeply tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which she says has directed crackdowns on protesters for years.

“This is the worst outcome for the Iranian people and the American people,” Mahdara said. “He is a younger, more equipped Ali Khamenei.”

At the same time, Mahdara says emotions among Iranians are deeply conflicted. Many feel both hope and dread—hope that outside pressure could force political change, and dread that the regime will respond with even greater repression.

One of the most striking claims she makes: many Iranians, particularly those desperate for regime change, have placed their hopes in Donald Trump. According to Mahdara, some Iranians believe he is the only Western leader who has seriously challenged the regime and could ultimately push for its collapse.

“I think the Iranian people, whether you like it or not, whether I like it or not, completely trust and believe in Donald Trump,” Mahdara said. “They see him as their only hope.”

Whether Americans are prepared for that reality of another protracted war is another question entirely.

War fatigue runs deep in the United States after Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if Washington sees Iran as a central geopolitical battle—with implications for Russia, China, energy markets, and regional stability—selling another Middle East conflict to voters will be difficult.

For Iranians living under the regime, though, the calculation is different. As Mahdara put it during our conversation, the desperation is so intense that many are willing to endure extraordinary hardship if it might finally bring change.

“Imagine being bombarded and you’re screaming no ceasefire,” Mahdara said.

“It’s another level of desperate.”

Watch the full conversation above.