Hard-line conservative Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) on Thursday bluntly called for the United States support regime change in Iran, saying America should help the Iranian people “take out the trash.”

Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, posted a photo of himself earlier this week smoking a cigarette that appeared to have been lit by a burning photo of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini. He appeared with Fox News host Dana Perino.

Smoke ’em if you got ’em. #Iran https://t.co/vvBjCKDCcs pic.twitter.com/x3DfiMonqw

— Tim Sheehy (@TimSheehyMT) January 11, 2026

“Whether we like it or not Iran has been at war with us for 47 years.” Sheehy pointed out. “They’ve been hunting down, murdering, torturing, and slaughtering Americans all over the world, from the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing through our wars in Iraq, in Afghanistan, to of course, how this regime started.”

He then recalled the Iranian revolution in 1979 when the Iranian government held more than 50 American hostages at the U.S. Embassy during the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter, only releasing them the day President Ronald Reagan, who had threatened the Iranians, took office.

“Let’s not forget how the Ayatollah’s regime started: by taking our embassy hostage and holding hundreds of Americans hostage for a year and a half,” he noted. “So this regime’s literal foreign policy is ‘Death to America.’ They chant it every day and they back up those chants with actions by actually killing Americans and fueling global terror networks. They are the largest state sponsor of terror in the world.”

“What did you think about the threat towards President Trump?” Perino asked.

“That’s nothing new; they’ve been threatening to kill our leaders for years,’ Sheehy replied. “So the fact that the people of Iran are now taking to the streets, an overwhelming display that they are ready for this regime to go away, it’s not our job to go and conduct regime change, but we should help these people take out the trash.”

“I fully support the president’s action if he decides to get involved and help tip the scales here,” he continued. “It’s high time we finally get rid of this murderous regime; we’ve been placating them for far too long. They’re like a hobo on LSD with a knife in the street and everyone stands back, not wanting to touch them. The reality is they are trying to kill us every day; it’s about time we knock this guy out, and I hope the people of Iran get the full support they need.”

The Iranian regime are a bunch of murderous bastards who chant “death to America” and have been killing Americans for 46 years. It’s time to take out the trash.

To the brave Iranian people – we applaud your courage. Keep fighting. pic.twitter.com/uX6mw4Emli

— Tim Sheehy (@TimSheehyMT) January 15, 2026

The U.S. military seized another Venezuelan-linked oil tanker in the Caribbean early Thursday morning, as federal authorities intensified enforcement against sanctioned vessels tied to the Maduro regime. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn raid of the motor tanker Veronica, the sixth sanctioned vessel seized by the Coast Guard in recent weeks. The operation went smoothly, and the ship was seized without incident, Noem said. 

“As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” Noem posted on X, sharing footage of the operation. 

Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean. As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of… pic.twitter.com/MyWyQGH1h0

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 15, 2026

“As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America’s Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime,” she added. 

U.S. Southern Command said that Marines and sailors assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Spear took part in the seizure after launching from the USS Gerald R. Ford. The task force is focused on disrupting drug trafficking and other illegal activities in the Western Hemisphere. 

“The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again,” Southern Command said. “The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”

Trump has promised that American companies will invest billions to rebuild Venezuelan oil fields. 

Last week, the Coast Guard seized a tanker flying a Russian flag that had previously bypassed an American blockade. The ship, the Marinera, had been on the run for two weeks and was set to be escorted by a Russian submarine and warships. 

The operation came a few hours ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The meeting is expected to focus on Venezuela’s future following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. Trump has said he doesn’t expect Machado to have enough support to become Venezuela’s next leader.