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The United States President, Donald Trump, has said he must be involved in choosing of Iran’s next leader following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Axios on Thursday, dismissing the possibility of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” he said.
The US president was referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power in Venezuela after US forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
Trump also said he would reject any successor who continues the policies of the late Iranian leader.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he stated.
He warned that installing a leader who follows the same path as the former supreme leader could force the United States back into war with Iran “in five years.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric believed to have strong ties with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, is widely considered one of the potential successors to his father, although Tehran has yet to officially announce a new leader.
Trump’s comments came a day after the White House suggested that regime change in Iran was not the primary objective of the administration’s ongoing military campaign in the region.
Iran’s Supreme Leader is the country’s highest political and religious authority, wielding significant power over the armed forces, judiciary and major state policies.
The leadership uncertainty in Iran follows the death of the country’s long-time Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in late February during a wave of joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian military and government targets.
The attacks formed part of a major military campaign launched amid escalating tensions over Iran’s regional activities and nuclear programme.
The strikes, which reportedly targeted several strategic facilities in Tehran and other locations, triggered a wider conflict across the Middle East.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israeli and US-linked targets across the region, raising fears of a broader regional war and disrupting energy shipments through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989 had not publicly named a successor before his death.
His killing created a power vacuum in Tehran, prompting speculation over who might lead the country next as the conflict continues.
