United States President Donald Trump has broken silence on the emergence of the next Iranian Supreme Leader.
This is as the U.S President made it clear that the United States will not sit on the sidelines as a power vacuum emerges in Tehran.
Following the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei amid ongoing regional escalations, the President asserted that choosing the next Iranian leader is a matter of “ultimate national security,” signaling a departure from traditional non-interference policies.
Trump compared the current situation in Iran to his administration’s previous efforts in South America.
He suggested that the U.S. is looking for a transition that maintains stability while removing the “radical core” of the current regime.
Trump specifically dismissed the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, taking the mantle. He labeled the prospect of a hereditary transition “unacceptable,” instead calling for a “patriot” who is ready to make a deal with the West
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” Trump said of Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the supreme leader killed on the first day of the war. Trump added, “We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” said Trump, referring to the acting president in the South American country.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Trump was referring to the development that saw Delcy Rodriguez take power in January after he ordered a U.S military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and whisk him to the U.S. to face federal drug conspiracy charges.
Trump’s comments come after reports emerged that Mojtab is the leading contender to take over as the next Iranian leader.
It reported that Iranian senior clerics met virtually on Tuesday to discuss the new leadership of the Islamic Republic, which has been decimated by American and Israeli attacks.
On Wednesday, Iranian sources stressed that Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive after days of joint US-Israeli strikes that killed the Ayatollah and several other potential successors.
Mojtaba, a 56-year-old hardliner who has managed his father’s office and networks for years, is believed to be the clear front-runner and could be named as early as Wednesday morning. For years, he has been seen as one of the top candidates to succeed his father.
Khameini’s grandson, Hassan, is also seen as a potential candidate, representing the more reformist wing of the leadership that was suppressed under Khamenei.
The former supreme leader’s son is known for having close ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). His appointment would suggest that the Guards would retain control of the levers of power in Iran.
Mojtaba served in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, giving him revolutionary credibility, and studied theology in the holy city of Qom, meeting the constitutional requirement for clerical training.
