President Donald Trump has been briefed on U.S. intelligence assessments describing Iran’s regime as being in its weakest position since the 1979 revolution, citing internal dissent, economic collapse, and growing instability, according to officials familiar with the briefings.
The assessment was detailed in a report published Monday by the New York Times, which cited officials familiar with the briefings who said that widespread protests and deepening economic turmoil have shaken the regime’s control — particularly in regions traditionally considered loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Officials currently believe Iran’s political and financial foundations remain unstable and that the Islamic theocracy’s grip on power “is at its weakest point since the shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.”
On Tuesday, the Iranian rial fell to a record low against the U.S. dollar, signaling worsening economic conditions under Khamenei’s rule.
The currency collapse follows an aggressive escalation of economic pressure by the Trump administration, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning last week that Iran’s leadership is driving the country toward what he described as “economic self-immolation” as it prioritizes terrorism and repression over basic governance.
Announcing new sanctions targeting Iran’s illicit oil-export “shadow fleet,” Bessent said the regime’s own choices — compounded by President Trump’s maximum-pressure campaign — have directly accelerated the rial’s collapse and sent living conditions into free fall, as Treasury moves to choke off the revenue streams used to fund domestic crackdowns and foreign terror operations.
The matter comes as Tehran reels from weeks of unrest that began with merchant strikes in Tehran, with more than 30,000 protesters reportedly killed amid internet blackouts, mass arrests, and lethal crackdowns driven by years of economic mismanagement and political repression.
U.S. officials have also warned that Iran’s ruling elites are actively moving stolen wealth out of the country as instability deepens, with Bessent previously describing senior regime figures as “rats fleeing a sinking ship” while frantically wiring tens of millions of dollars abroad to evade sanctions and safeguard personal fortunes.
Last Saturday, President Trump publicly called for “new leadership” in Iran, rebuking Khamenei after the Supreme Leader accused him of inciting unrest inside the Islamic Republic. “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump said, charging that the regime’s decay stems from catastrophic governance rather than foreign pressure.
The threat followed a wave of anti-American rhetoric from top officials, including Khamenei directly accusing President Trump of inciting violent protests, declaring him “guilty” of causing mass casualties and insisting the unrest exposed what he called Washington’s “hostility toward the Iranian nation.”
As tensions escalate, Washington is backing its warnings with concrete military deployments — including the repositioning of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group from the South China Sea to the Middle East — alongside a parallel economic crackdown targeting Iran’s ruling elite.
On Thursday, President Trump warned that a “big force” is heading toward Iran and that officials are “watching them very closely,” telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. It’s a big force.”
According to recent reports, following rising concerns over a possible U.S. military strike, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has relocated to a heavily fortified underground compound in Tehran. The regime’s decision to shelter its highest authority underground highlights its fear of American strength and raises fresh questions about Tehran’s readiness for conflict, as it continues backing terror abroad and crushing dissent at home.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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