TEHRAN, January 31 — An English-language newspaper widely regarded as a mouthpiece for hardline factions within Iran’s government has published a list of 13 world leaders it describes as “revenge targets,” dramatically escalating rhetorical tensions between Tehran and the West. The Tehran Times, based in the Iranian capital, named U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio among those on the list.
The publication also included other current and former U.S. and allied officials, though the full roster was not immediately detailed in available reports. The article appears to reference the January 3, 2020, U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport.
Soleimani commanded the Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The Iranian government has not issued an official statement regarding the article. The Tehran Times is known to reflect hardline views within Iran’s political establishment, and its editorial stance often aligns with factions that oppose any diplomatic opening with the West.
A familiar pattern of escalation
The publication of a hit list by a state-affiliated outlet is not without precedent in Iranian media, but the inclusion of sitting heads of government marks a significant escalation in rhetoric. No specific timeline for any action was provided in the article, leaving ambiguity about whether the list represents aspirational propaganda or something more concrete. The development comes amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies.
The Trump administration has maintained a policy of maximum pressure on Tehran, including economic sanctions and military posturing, while Iran has responded with nuclear advancements and proxy attacks across the Middle East. For families of American service members and diplomats stationed across the region, the list raises immediate security concerns.
The targeting of senior U.S. officials by name in an Iranian publication — even one not officially government-run — signals a willingness to normalize threats against American leadership in the public sphere.
What comes next
The Trump administration has not yet publicly responded to the Tehran Times article. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, named on the list, has been a vocal critic of the Iranian regime, advocating for stringent sanctions and support for anti-regime protesters inside Iran. Observers will be watching for any official Iranian government reaction — or denial — in the coming days.
The absence of a statement from Tehran could be interpreted as tacit approval of the newspaper’s content, while a disavowal would signal an effort to de-escalate. For now, the list sits as another marker in the long shadow of Soleimani’s killing — a reminder that five years after the drone strike, the consequences continue to reverberate through the corridors of power in both Washington and Tehran.
