Former Navy Capt. Sadler to Newsmax: Larijani Death Could Spark Iran Uprising

Iranian security official Ali Larijani's death could help inspire anti-regime protesters to take to the streets, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Brent Sadler told Newsmax on Tuesday.

Speaking on "Wake Up America," Sadler said the reported killing of Larijani — along with other top Iranian figures — marks a potentially decisive turning point against the embattled regime in Tehran.

"This is actually a significant development," Sadler said, noting Larijani's central role in both the regime's internal crackdown and its outward aggression.

"In the last few days [he] has been very popularly seen on TV, walking the streets trying to rally pro-regime supporters."

Sadler emphasized that Larijani was not just a political figure but a key enforcer of the regime's brutality.

He pointed to Larijani's alleged role in authorizing a violent crackdown earlier this year that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths among Iranian protesters.

"He's the guy who penned or signed the execution order back in January for crackdown on the protests that ended up in the killing of 32,000 or more Iranian protesters," Sadler said, describing the Iranian leadership as reliant on fear and force to maintain control.

With Larijani now gone, Sadler argued, the regime loses both an operational leader and a symbolic figure capable of mobilizing loyalists. That could weaken its grip on power and embolden ordinary Iranians.

He added Larijani's death also removes "the moral leadership that he might provide to kind of rally the pro-regime forces, if there was any left."

Steve Yates, a former national security adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney, agreed that the systematic targeting of Iran's leadership is part of a broader strategy to dismantle the regime's ability to threaten both its own people and the United States.

"They're methodically moving through a clear plan," Yates said, referring to Israeli and U.S. operations. "Taking out personnel responsible for torture inside Iran and threats outside… degrading their ability to project that threat."

Yates added that each high-level elimination increases the likelihood that the Iranian people could eventually rise up, though he cautioned that ongoing military operations may still deter mass protests in the near term.

"I do think that every day that one of these top evil people goes to the beyond is a good day," Yates said. "It certainly increases the odds of the people in Iran from being able to rise up."

He echoed President Donald Trump's view that fear of violent retaliation has long prevented widespread uprisings, suggesting that removing key regime figures could begin to shift that dynamic.

The broader context underscores growing pressure on Tehran.

Israeli strikes have targeted senior officials and military infrastructure, while Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks across the region, raising concerns about escalation and global energy stability.

Still, Sadler suggested the internal implications may prove just as significant as the battlefield developments.

"If the people see that the regime's enforcers are no longer there," he said, "that could be the moment where they finally take their country back."

With Iran's leadership ranks thinning and unrest simmering beneath the surface, analysts say Larijani's death could mark the beginning of a new and potentially decisive phase in the conflict.

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