Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has issued a strong call for the downfall of the Iranian regime, amid a climate of unrest and heightened tensions over the potential execution of a young protester. This sentiment echoes concerns about escalating actions that could provoke U.S. involvement, as previously suggested by President Donald Trump.

Graham expressed his dismay over the fate of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper facing execution for participating in street protests advocating for a better quality of life. In a poignant message shared on social media, alongside an article detailing Soltani’s plight, Graham conveyed his sorrow and urged global intervention to save the young man at risk.

“I am deeply saddened by the impending execution of Erfan Soltani,” Graham wrote. “He stands to lose his life simply for desiring freedom and protesting for it. His family is appealing to the world for help, and I fervently hope and pray his execution is halted, allowing him to live free from fear.”

The senator underscored the necessity of regime change in Iran, asserting that toppling the current leadership—particularly the “murderous ayatollah”—could yield significant positive outcomes for the region. Conversely, he cautioned that maintaining Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s grip on power would represent a regression into further darkness and repression.

The international community is closely observing the situation, with Graham’s comments highlighting the critical need for change to ensure a brighter future for the Iranian people.

Soltani’s story has spread in recent days as the unrest in Iran continues. 

The 26-year-old was arrested in Fardis and was sentenced to death after an expedited trial, according to ABC News, which cited Soltani’s second cousin, Somayeh.

“As someone who is an activist myself and who has fought this regime for many years, I felt it was my right — and my duty — to be Erfan’s voice outside the country despite all the pressure and sanctions that fall on families,” Somayeh, who is based in Germany, told ABC News.

Iranians began protesting in late December amid worsening economic conditions. Earlier this month, the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout, blocking demonstrators from contacting each other or the outside world amid international fears that protesters would be met with violence and death.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

On Jan. 2, just days after the protests erupted, Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to take action if the regime used violence against demonstrators. One day after the threat was made, the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, adding weight to Trump’s words, though no known action has been taken yet.

Trump claimed Wednesday the administration was told “on good authority” that the killing in Iran had stopped.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped and stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “So, I’ve been told that on good authority. We’ll find out about it.”

Protesters burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in solidarity with Iran’s uprising on Whitehall in central London Jan. 11, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)

On Friday, he seemed to double down on the idea that the regime had stopped using violence when he issued a Truth Social post saying Iran had canceled over 800 scheduled hangings.

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The fate of Soltani remains unclear, as does the prospect of U.S. intervention in Iran.