United States (U.S) President Donald Trump and Israel have reacted to the emergence of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the new leader of Iran.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Mojtaba Khamenei emerged as Iran’s Supreme Leader on Sunday after he was selected by the Assembly of Experts.
Speaking on the development, Trump said that he was disappointed in Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, telling the press that he is “not happy” that the younger Khamenei has succeeded his father.
As for what he plans to do regarding Iran’s new leader, he told the press that: “Not going to tell you. Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.”
Trump also added that on Monday that he’s “nowhere near” ordering boots on the ground in Iran to secure enriched uranium reportedly stored at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear complex.
“We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it,” Trump told the press.
Trump’s remark comes after reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday asked him about the potential ground troops being deployed in the Iran operation.
Trump said at the time that there would “have to be a very good reason.”
“And I would say if we ever did that, [Iran] would be so decimated they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level,” Trump added on Saturday.
Also, before the emergence of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Israel threatened to target anyone who succeeds or seeks to appoint a successor to Khamenei.
The Israeli military issued the warning in a social media post in Farsi on X, as the clerical body in charge of picking the new Iranian leader reportedly decided on Sunday.
“We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you. This is a warning!” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in the post.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also recalls that last week, Trump called Khamenei a “lightweight” who would be “unacceptable” to lead Iran. The president has said more than once that he wants to be involved in approving Iran’s new leadership.
“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” the president told Axios last Thursday. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the interim president of Venezuela who assumed power after the U.S. captured and arrested Nicolás Maduro.
The president has said the worst-case scenario in Iran would be for the country to end up with a leader even worse than before the U.S. intervened.
“I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person, right?” he said last week. “That could happen. We don’t want that to happen. That would probably be the worst.”
He’s also said the role of Iranian leader, for now, is a very short one.
