President Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday that he did not expect Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to “last long” as “supreme leader” if he does not cooperate with the United States.
The Iranian terror state announced on Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen by an “Assembly of Experts” to succeed his father, killed on February 28 by a flurry of American and Israeli airstrikes on the country. While Iran has other military and diplomatic leaders, including “president” Masoud Pezeshkian, all are subordinate to the supreme leader.
Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, a military operation intended to eliminate the threat that the Iranian government, the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism, poses to the United States and Israel. The operation followed weeks of stalled negotiations between Iranian and American officials, mediated by Oman, in which American officials attempted to convince Iran to limit its illicit nuclear development, while the Iranians focused on ending sanctions on their government.
Operation Epic Fury, alongside military efforts by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has eliminated dozens of senior Iranian military leaders, in addition to the elder Khamenei. Trump has stated repeatedly that he is willing to stop the war when the threat Iran poses to the United States is abated and that that would require the leadership of the country to change.
The Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father on Sunday. An extremist cleric, many analysts expect the younger Khamenei not to significantly change the government’s policies. Iranian state media indicated following his election that the younger Khamenei was wounded as a result of Operation Epic Fury.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News, referring to the younger Khamenei. “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it.”
The president repeated, “I don’t want people to have to go back in five years and have to do the same thing again or worse let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump expressed openness to Iran choosing a member of the jihadist regime to lead the country in a transition, stating that “there are numerous people that could qualify” — but apparently excluding Mojtaba Khamenei from that list.
Rumors spread for days following the death of the old “supreme leader,” who ruled for 37 years with an iron fist, that Mojtaba Khamenei was the frontrunner to replace him. “Supreme leader” has traditionally been a religious position; dictators in the Iranian “revolution” are extremist clerics. Even prior to the official announcement of his ascent to the dictatorial position, Trump had rejected Mojtaba Khamenei last week.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump reportedly told the Washington, DC, website Axios. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
Trump also told Reuters that he thought the younger Khamenei was “unlikely” to be successful and repeated his insistence that the United States needs to have a hand in who leads Iran next to prevent the necessity of a more prolonged war.
“We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future, so we don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again,” he said. “We want somebody that’s going to be great for the people, great for the country.”
On Friday, Trump declared in a statement on his website Truth Social that Iran would have to offer “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” to end Operation Epic Fury.
“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction,” the message continued, “making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” his statement continued. “IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’”
Iranian state media has elevated the younger Khamenei’s profile and attempted to create an image of unity among the nation’s political elites. Pezeshkian, the president — who has largely avoided the public eye following the launch of Operation Epic Fury — made a florid statement on Monday praising Khamenei and vowing allegiance to the new “supreme leader.”
“The president expressed confidence that under Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership, Iran would reach a bright horizon characterized by sustainable independence, scientific and technological advancement, and comprehensive development,” the regime-friendly Tasnim News Agency reported. This selection, the president said, reflects the will of the Islamic community to strengthen national unity, which serves as a robust barrier against the plots of adversaries.”
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