The orientalist pointed to Trump's desire to raise his status through the elimination of Khamenei.

US President Donald Trump, speaking about the country's ability to eliminate Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, seeks to get rid of the reputation of a loser. This was stated on June 18 by Sergey Balmasov, an expert at the Institute of the Middle East and an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, in an interview with Izvestia.

"Trump is trying to implement at least something according to his foreign policy doctrine and get rid of the image of a loser. Even Greenland has so far failed to snatch microscopic Denmark. It was not possible to end the conflict in Ukraine not only in a day, but also in 100 days, in six months. And now the Americans themselves are already joking that "peacemaker Trump," who promised himself to end one conflict, has already received two, including with Iran," the source said.

According to the expert, Trump is trying to demonstrate the strength of the United States through targeted operations against the Iranian leadership in order to convey to Tehran that the United States is not bluffing. In this context, the elimination of high-ranking Iranian officials may become part of a strategy aimed at strengthening its position both domestically and internationally.

As for Iran's reaction to the US call for surrender, Balmasov noted that if Tehran makes this decision, it could lead to its overthrow by both conservatives and the opposition inside the country. He stressed that the probability that the top Iranian leadership will agree to concessions for the sake of preserving the country is extremely low — only 1-2%.

"The situation has shown that even Iran is not drawn to confrontation with Israel. Air defense systems are practically not working. The rocket salvo is getting smaller in volume. And, in general, it is clear here that Israel is decisively leading on points. And that's why, of course, it's difficult to give up like that. But this is not in the Iranian tradition. Still, in my opinion, the Iranian leaders would rather be killed than choose such a final disgrace," the orientalist emphasized.

In addition, the expert added that in attacks by the United States on Iran, only the Houthis will help the country.

Eastern rivalries: new countries are involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran

At the same time, prolonging the fighting increases Tehran's chances, experts say.

On June 17, Trump said that the United States was demanding unconditional surrender from Iran. In addition, he said that Washington "at least for now" is not going to eliminate Khamenei, but they have the opportunity to do so and know where he is.