Solution to Iran crisis is regime change , ousting Khamenei , Saudi royal family source says

yahoo.com · Feb 24, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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A Saudi royal family source told N12 that the solution for Iran is no longer a limited military strike but a fundamental regime change, starting with the ousting of Supreme Leader Khamenei.The solution for Iran is no longer a limited military move, but a large, fundamental change, including the ousting of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a Saudi royal family source told N12 News on Sunday.Khamenei and the regime "must be eliminated one by one," and "the only solution is to change the regime in Iran in one way or another," the source said."If the regime in Iran is overthrown, a strong government must rise that knows how to concentrate power in a strong and secure way, and not repeat the model of a weak technocratic government such as exists in Iraq," the source added."After the [anti-regime Iranian] protesters lost faith in [US President Donald] Trump, the solution is to eliminate the top leadership one by one, starting with Khamenei, so that there will be no leaders left, and then hold elections," they continued.Crown Prince Reza "Pahlavi is apparently not acceptable to the majority of the public inside Iran," the source said.Anti-regime protesters hold banners in support of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, denouncing the Islamic Regime as murderers, during a protest on the sidelines of US-Iran nuclear talks, Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026; illustrative. (credit: Sedat Suna/Getty Images)There is a feeling of missed opportunity on the streets of Iran, which has stemmed from not only the intense repression by the Islamic Regime, but also the lack of external support, according to the source."Trump missed the opportunity to eliminate the heads of the regime's security apparatus who suppressed the past protests, and by doing so, he lost the trust of the protesters," the source said.Saudi royal source discusses US, Israel's strategic mistakeThis was "the strategic mistake of the US and Israel - the lack of understanding of the social dimension inside Iran and the failure to build an alternative to the regime," the source added."If Trump wants to fulfil his promise to protect the protesters - how will he do that if he doesn't eliminate those who killed them? A surgical action is required to hit essential infrastructure, alongside the security commanders who acted against protesters," the source stated."The protests currently happening in Iran are economic in motivation and limited in nature. If pressure increases, they will grow, but will also be suppressed. They are not as large as the media presents," the source believes."We see the regime as a regional threat. If Iran does not produce nuclear weapons within five years, it will do so afterwards," they continued.Iran builds 'target bank' of US, allies, facilities, infrastructure in region - reportN12 noted that an ultra-conservative Iranian news outlet, Vatan-e-Emrooz (Homeland Today), presented a list of US targets and Iran's plan for escalation, including a "target bank" that includes US bases, economic infrastructure, and other Middle East countries, including Jordan.An Iranian response will be "rapid and coordinated," according to the local outlet cited by N12. It would be executed in multiple arenas simultaneously, aiming to create a situation where the confrontation will rapidly expand. This expansion will include Iran's proxy axis involvement, damage to shipping routes, and threats to oil and energy facilities, according to the report.