Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is calling for the end of the Iranian regime amid ongoing protests and as the country holds its breath to see if a 26-year-old protester will be executed, something President Donald Trump has said could trigger U.S. intervention.

‘I read with great sadness and heartache about the pending execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper. He is facing death at the hands of the ayatollah simply for protesting in the street for a better life. His family is calling on the world to come to their son’s aid,’ Graham wrote in a post on X along with an article about Soltani.

‘I hope and pray that the execution does not go forward and this young man does not forfeit his life because he wants to live in freedom without fear,’ the senator added. ‘This regime must fall, and the Iranian people must have a better life.’

Graham said that he believes if the regime falls and the ‘murderous ayatollah running Iran’ is gone, the impact on the region ‘would be incredibly positive.’ He also warned, however, that if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were to remain in power, it would be ‘a giant step backward into the darkness.’

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.

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 on 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.’

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 that Iran had cancelled 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.

A bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. lawmakers set off to Denmark to reassure the NATO ally amid President Donald Trump’s push for a takeover of Greenland.

The group was mostly made of Democrats, but included two Republicans: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Murkowski, Tillis, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., were among those who traveled to Europe for meetings with Danish and Greenlandic officials. Some members of the delegation are expected to go to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.

‘The trip will highlight bipartisan support for our allies in the Kingdom of Denmark and discuss how to deepen this partnership in line with our shared principles of sovereignty and self-determination, and in the face of growing challenges around the world, especially bolstering Arctic security and promoting stronger trade relations between the two countries,’ a statement Shaheen issued prior to the visit read.

Coons, who led the delegation, underscored the lawmakers’ desire to ‘reaffirm Congress’ commitment’ to Denmark, calling it one of the U.S.’s ‘oldest, strongest NATO allies.’

‘A great day leading our bipartisan delegation to Copenhagen meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials to reaffirm Congress’ commitment to one of our oldest, strongest NATO allies. In an increasingly unstable world In which our adversaries are cooperating, our alliances are more important than ever,’ he wrote in a post on X.

The visit comes as Trump’s renewed push for the U.S. to takeover Greenland continues to draw criticism from both sides of the aisle and some of America’s allies.

‘That rhetoric doesn’t just undermine our bilateral relationship, it undermines the NATO alliance at a time when our adversaries seek to benefit from division,’ Shaheen said during a speech at the University of Copenhagen.

The trip began before Trump announced on Saturday planned tariffs for Denmark and several European nations in a bid to force a deal for the U.S. purchase of Greenland. 

While the lawmakers were visiting, Denmark saw massive protests of crowds voicing their opposition to the U.S. taking the semiautonomous Danish territory. Thousands gathered across the country to show their solidarity with Greenland. The crowds chanted ‘Greenland is not for sale’ and held banners with slogans such as ‘Hands off Greenland,’ according to Reuters.

‘I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive… we are also sending a message to the world that you all must wake up,’ Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark, told Reuters.

‘Greenland and the Greenlanders have involuntarily become the front in the fight for democracy and human rights,’ she added.

Trump has insisted that the U.S. needs Greenland for purposes of national security, saying that Russia and China were eyeing the island. 

During her speech at the University of Copenhagen, Shaheen argued that Trump’s approach is unnecessary, saying the U.S. already has pathways to secure its interests in the Arctic.

‘Anything the president might want — whether it is U.S. bases to defend against Arctic threats or critical minerals deals — the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have made clear they are happy to partner with us. So, the threats are not only unnecessary, they are also counterproductive, and they risk undermining the broader NATO Alliance in the process,’ Shaheen added.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing European backlash over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is a core American defense interest and that Europe ‘has a tendency to overreact.’

Americans appear divided on the idea, however, with 86% of voters nationwide saying they would oppose military action to take over Greenland, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The survey found that voters opposed any U.S. effort to buy Greenland by a 55%–37% margin, suggesting the idea has yet to gain broad support among American voters.

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Iran’s supreme leader has publicly acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during recent anti-government protests, according to reporting from the BBC, as President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and called for new leadership in Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks during a public address Saturday, blaming the U.S. for the unrest and violence and saying some protesters died ‘in an inhuman, savage manner,’ the BBC reported.

The protests, which began in late December over economic conditions, later expanded into calls for an end to Iran’s ruling system. 

U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll.

According to the BBC, nationwide internet shutdowns have made independent verification difficult, with connectivity dropping to roughly 2% of normal levels, citing data from cyber monitoring group NetBlocks.

Videos authenticated by BBC Persian and BBC Verify show Iranian security forces firing on demonstrators during the unrest.

Trump told Politico on Saturday that ‘it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,’ after being read a series of hostile posts from Khamenei’s X account accusing the president of responsibility for the violence.

‘What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,’ Trump said, according to Politico. ‘Leadership is about respect, not fear and death.’

Trump went further in personal terms, telling Politico, ‘The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people.’

‘His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership,’ Trump added.

Trump has previously urged Iranians to continue protesting and ‘take over institutions,’ saying that ‘help is on its way,’ according to Politico. The president later said he had been informed that the killings had stopped.

‘The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,’ Trump told Politico, when asked about the scope of potential U.S. military action.

In a series of posts on X posts, Khamenei accused Trump of responsibility for the violence, writing, ‘We find the US President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation.’

In another post, Khamenei claimed that ‘America’s goal is to devour Iran.’

Trump has said in recent days he was looking at ‘very strong options’ including possible military involvement.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump lashed out at Minnesota Democrats on social media Sunday, saying they were using the ongoing federal operations to distract from the state’s massive fraud issue.

Trump made the statement on his Truth Social media platform, saying federal agents in Minneapolis and St. Paul were targeting ‘violent criminals.’

‘ICE is removing some of the most violent criminals in the World from our Country, and bring them back home, where they belong. Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants?’ Trump wrote.

Trump went on to call out Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., saying they ‘don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State!’ 

‘Don’t worry, we’re on it!’ Trump added.

Federal agents have faced harassment and protests from agitators in Minnesota in recent weeks. Federal prosecutors are investigating both Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly impeding law enforcement efforts in the blue state.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News the duo’s anti-ICE rhetoric was teetering on a federal crime.

‘When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he’s encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,’ Blanche said.

Bondi added on X, ‘A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.’

Walz responded to the news on Friday by accusing the Trump administration of ‘weaponizing the justice system.’

‘Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,’ Walz wrote in an X post. ‘Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.’

Frey also weighed in on social media, asserting he ‘will not be intimidated.’

‘This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our city,’ Frey wrote on X. ‘I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.