The president’s remarks come as Iran’s clerical leadership moves toward selecting a successor following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran’s next supreme leader will not remain in power for long unless the United States approves the selection, as Tehran moves closer to announcing the successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In an interview with ABC News on March 8, Trump said Iran’s next leader must receive U.S. approval in order to maintain stability following the ongoing conflict.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump said. “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long.”
Trump added that the United States wants to avoid future conflicts with Iran, saying his goal is to ensure that future administrations will not face similar crises involving Tehran’s leadership or its nuclear program.
“We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it,” Trump said.
The comments came as Iran’s Assembly of Experts—the clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader—reported it had reached a majority consensus on a successor following internal deliberations.
The leadership transition follows the death of Khamenei, who was killed during a series of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28 that targeted senior Iranian leadership as part of the escalating regional conflict.
Iranian officials said the Assembly of Experts met March 7 to finalize a decision on the next leader, although reports indicate the announcement could be delayed until after Khamenei’s funeral and until procedural issues surrounding the meeting are resolved.
Some members of the clerical body have expressed concerns about holding a full in-person gathering due to the ongoing conflict. The Assembly’s building in the city of Qom was reportedly struck during Israeli airstrikes earlier in the war, adding further complications to the selection process.
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, a member of the Assembly of Experts, said convening a large meeting could create additional risks.
“This is an extraordinary situation, the assembly cannot meet in a plenary,” Alekasir said, arguing that such a gathering could benefit Iran’s enemies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed that an interim leadership council is overseeing the country until the Assembly formally elects a permanent successor.
“A new supreme leader is going to be elected soon by the Assembly of Experts,” Araghchi said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Araghchi declined to confirm whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain leader, would assume the position despite widespread speculation that he is a leading candidate.
“Nobody knows,” Araghchi said. “There are lots of rumors around but you know, we have to wait for the Assembly of Experts to convene and vote for the supreme leader and the one who is elected by them.”
Israeli security sources told Epoch Magazine in Israel that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded during an Israeli Air Force strike targeting a bunker linked to his father earlier in the conflict.
The younger Khamenei has long maintained close ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and holds influence among clerical leadership circles inside the country.
Trump has previously rejected the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei assuming power, reportedly dismissing him as unacceptable and insisting that the United States should have a role in determining Iran’s future leadership.
Iranian officials, however, rejected any outside involvement in the decision.
“We allow nobody to interfere with our domestic affairs,” Araghchi said.
The succession debate comes as Israeli forces intensified strikes across Iran overnight, targeting fuel depots near Tehran and hitting hundreds of military infrastructure sites including missile launchers and weapons production facilities, according to Israeli military statements.
The war, now entering its second week, has expanded across the region as the United States and Israel continue operations against Iranian military targets while Tehran responds with missile and drone attacks on allied positions and infrastructure in neighboring states.
Original article
Comments