The U.S. President is “dissatisfied” with the decision of Iran’s Assembly of Experts to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, as the new leader of the Islamic Republic. Donald Trump said this in an interview with a Fox News television host.
In an interview with The Times of Israel, Trump commented on the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader by saying, “We’ll see what happens.”
Earlier, Trump also told ABC News that Iran’s next leader “will not last long” if he does not receive Washington’s approval.
The U.S. President called Mojtaba Khamenei a “lightweight” and threatened that he would not accept a candidate who continues the policies of the slain Ali Khamenei. According to Trump, the appointment of such a person would lead to a new war within a few years. “Washington needs someone who will bring unity and peace to Iran,” therefore the U.S. President should personally participate in the selection of the Supreme Leader, the head of the White House added.
For his part, Israel’s defense minister threatened to kill any successor to Ayatollah Khamenei who continues his predecessor’s course.
Mojtaba Khamenei is the third Supreme Leader of Iran. In his speech, President Masoud Pezeshkian called his appointment “an expression of the desire to strengthen the national unity of the Islamic nation.”
