Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Saturday that President Donald Trump is signaling a readiness to expand Israel-style "decapitation" strikes against Iran's security apparatus if Tehran continues killing opposition protesters, as Iran imposed a sweeping internet and communications blackout amid escalating unrest.
Wilkie, also a former undersecretary of Defense, said on "Saturday Agenda" that Iran's leadership is facing a potential breaking point, and that Trump is hinting at broader targeted strikes if Iranian forces keep using lethal violence against demonstrators.
Wilkie's comments came as Iranian authorities moved to isolate the country, cutting off internet access and international telephone calls in what news outlets have described as a familiar tactic ahead of intensified crackdowns.
Reuters reported Jan. 10 that protests that began Dec. 28 over inflation and economic conditions have spread nationally and turned political, with demonstrators demanding an end to Islamic clerical rule.
Iran-based rights group HRANA says at least 50 protesters and 15 security personnel have been killed, and about 2,300 people arrested.
Against that backdrop, Wilkie argued that Tehran's push for negotiations is designed to prevent what he described as the United States "finish[ing] what the Israelis started."
He said Israel has already carried out leadership-targeted operations, and suggested the United States could conduct such strikes "on an even greater scale" if Iranian authorities continue, in his words, to kill their own people.
"What the president is hinting at is that if they continue this, then everyone in the ayatollah's retinue will be under threat. We know where they are. We know where they hide. They're not going to be able to get away," Wilkie said.
Asked what U.S. action could look like if Trump authorizes force, Wilkie said he did not expect American "boots on the ground."
Instead, he described a scenario centered on "decapitation" strikes aimed at Iran's security forces, including the Basij militia and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which he portrayed as the principal instruments of street-level repression.
Wilkie also said Trump and his team are communicating with Iran's regular army, and he claimed the Supreme Leader has ordered the Revolutionary Guard to move against the army leadership because the regime fears the army could join mass demonstrations.
In broader remarks, Wilkie tied Iran's regional reach to Venezuela, alleging Tehran and Hezbollah have used Venezuelan documentation and financial channels to facilitate travel and move money.
He framed unrest in Iran as a strategic setback not only for Tehran but also "a great blow to the Chinese and the Russians."
Trump warned Iran's leaders on Friday: "You better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted that the United States supports "the brave people of Iran."
Wilkie closed by arguing that, if Iran's government collapses, opposition networks could move quickly, pointing to renewed calls for the family of former Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and saying Trump had worked with opposition-linked figures during his time out of office.
"Well, I think the people of Iran will ensure that the theocratic fanatics are not going to be back in charge. What you're seeing now is a call for the return of the Pahlavi family. The son of the shah, and I think that would be a start," he said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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