US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was “not happy" with Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, while remaining silent on a possible military action against the heir, who has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
Trump told theNew York Postthat he was “not happy with" Mojtaba, 56, replacing his father as leader of the Islamic Republic over the weekend, but didn’t repeat his earlier threat to kill any successor who assumed power without consulting him. When asked about his plans to deal with the younger Khamenei, Trump said, “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him."
The US president, who spoke from his Trump National Golf Club in Florida, also downplayed speculation that he will send US troops into Iran to secure nuclear material at Isfahan. “We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it," he said on a ground invasion.FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES
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Earlier,Axiosreported that the United States and Israel have discussed sending special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later stage of the war to prevent Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday that “we haven’t talked about" the possibility.
Trump has repeatedly demanded a say in picking Iran’s next leader. Shortly before the Ayatollah’s hardline son was named as his replacement, Trump on Sunday toldABC Newsthat the new leader is “not going to last long" if “he doesn’t get approval from us."
The appointment of Mojtaba as his successor by the Assembly of Experts is being seen as a direct rebuke to Trump, who had declared the son “unacceptable". That will likely mean expanded authority for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, harsher domestic controls and sweeping repression to crush dissent.
His rise comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States–Israel alliance are sharply escalating. Joint American and Israeli strikes have targeted key sites inside Iran, including fuel storage facilities and other strategic infrastructure, while Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
