Trump Rejects Ali Khamenei’s Son as Iranian Successor, Says He Has to Be Involved in Choice
President Donald Trump told several media outlets on Thursday that the United States must participate in the process of choosing Iran’s next leader to avoid a repeat of the current war.
Trump expressed disapproval of rumors that the “Assembly of Experts,” a group of senior Iranian officials tasked with finding the next “supreme leader,” had potentially chosen Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to succeed him, calling him a “lightweight.”
The president on Saturday launched Operation Epic Fury, a military plan intended to degrade Iran’s ability to pose a threat to America and Israel. Iran is the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, responsible for maintaining a web of terrorist networks across the globe, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Iraq’s Shiite militias and others. The elder Khamenei was eliminated in strikes against Iran this weekend; President Trump announced his death less than 24 hours after Operation Epic Fury began.
Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, Trump said America was seeking to play a role in ensuring Iran’s next leader does not pose a threat to America, to prevent future war.
“We want to be involved in the process of choosing who will lead Iran in the future, so that we don’t have to go back every five years and start again and again,” he said. “We want someone who will be great for the people, great for the country.”
Reuters described Trump as saying the younger Khamenei’s ascension was “unlikely” and emphasizing: “We’re going to have to choose this person with Iran.” We’re going to have to choose this person. He added that all potential candidates, including Reza Pahlavi, the son of the country’s former shah decades ago, were “in the race” for leadership.
In separate remarks on the Washington, D.C.-based Axios website, Trump described the Assembly of Experts as “wasting its time” if it was seriously considering Khamenei.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the meeting, like with Delcy [Rodríguez] in Venezuela,” he explained. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.
Delcy Rodríguez is a radical communist who has held several positions in socialist Venezuela, including oil minister, foreign minister, and, most recently, vice president. Rodríguez took power on January 3, when the United States arrested deposed dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on narcoterrorism charges. Rodríguez has been more willing to work with the United States and Trump and this week hosted the U.S. Interior Secretary in Caracas.
Trump also spoke to NBC News, saying America wants to “go in and clean it up,” which means eliminating the malignant jihadist “Islamic Revolution” as the leadership structure in Iran.
“We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” he explained. “We want them to have a good leader. We have people who I think would do a good job.”
On Friday morning, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he would only accept an “unconditional surrender” from what remains of the Iranian regime.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” » he wrote. “After that, and after the selection of a GREAT AND ACCEPTABLE leader or leaders, we, and many of our wonderful and very courageous allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE.”
As of press time, it is not entirely clear who governs Iran. Khamenei was the “supreme leader” – the ultimate decision-making authority in the country. Iran has a president, Massoud Pezeshkian, but that role has traditionally served as a figurehead in advancing the supreme leader’s agenda. Pezehskian has largely avoided the spotlight since the start of “Operation Epic Fury,” emerging Friday with a conciliatory tone.
“We are committed to lasting peace in the region,” he said, “but we do not hesitate to defend the dignity and sovereignty of our nation. »
Iran’s response to Operation Epic Fury has primarily been a series of drone and missile attacks against its neighbors. On Saturday alone, Iran bombed eight of its neighbors: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel. Iran has since extended its attacks to Azerbaijan, sowing confusion and angering that country’s government.
Iranian officials also announced they would ban traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which would seriously harm international trade, including for some of its closest allies. The Chinese Communist Party, in particular, has urged Iran to change its mind and allow oil trafficking to China, a country with one of the world’s largest oil demands and without significant domestic reserves.
On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – a US-designated terrorist organization and the most powerful wing of Iran’s armed forces – announced it would open the strait, but only to its friendly allies, including China.
“We previously stated that, based on international laws and resolutions, in times of war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said in a statement. Iran has no such rights, regardless of how “international law” is interpreted.
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