TRUMP REJECTS KHAMENEI’S SON, DEMANDS ROLE IN IRAN’S LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION
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Agency Report
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he believes he should play a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while rejecting the possibility of the late leader’s son succeeding him.
In an interview with Axios, Trump described Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as unacceptable and dismissed him as unfit to take over the country’s leadership.
“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy,” Trump said, referring to Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela. He added that Mojtaba Khamenei was “a lightweight” and not a suitable candidate to lead Iran.
Trump warned that if Iran installs a leader who continues the policies of the late supreme leader, tensions could escalate again. He said the United States could find itself back in conflict within five years without a more conciliatory leadership in Tehran.
He also said Washington would prefer a leader capable of fostering stability in the country. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump was quoted as saying.
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It remains unclear how the United States could influence the process, as Iran’s supreme leader is traditionally chosen by the country’s clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, made up of senior Shiite scholars who largely oppose U.S. influence.
Trump’s remarks suggest he may be open to working with a figure from within Iran’s current political system rather than pursuing regime change. The country has been at odds with Washington since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the pro-Western monarchy.
Meanwhile, the late shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has proposed returning to Iran as a transitional leader before the country drafts a new constitution and shifts toward a secular democratic system. Pahlavi has argued that any new supreme leader chosen within the Islamic Republic would lack legitimacy.
Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989 with hardline policies both domestically and internationally, was killed in a recent Israeli strike during the escalating conflict involving Israel and the United States. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is widely viewed as one of the main contenders to succeed him as Iran’s next supreme leader.
Trump also pointed to developments in Venezuela as an example of U.S. influence. In January, U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, after which Rodríguez—who had served as his vice president—took over as interim leader and later cooperated with several U.S. demands.
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