US President Donald Trump stated that Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be able to "live in peace". Trump has voiced significant discontent following Iran's election of Ali Khamenei's second son as the new leader.
In a Fox News interview, Trump expressed that he is "not happy" with Iran's selection of leader. "I don't believe he can live in peace," Trump remarked.
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Mojtaba Khamenei: Iran's new supreme leader
Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who lost his life on the inaugural day of the conflict initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran, has been appointed as the new supreme leader of Iran, according to reports from state media.
The 56-year-old hardline cleric's mother, wife, and one of his sisters also died in the attack that claimed his father's life. However, the younger Khamenei was reportedly absent at the time and has thus far endured the severe bombardment of Iran.
{{/usCountry}}The 56-year-old hardline cleric's mother, wife, and one of his sisters also died in the attack that claimed his father's life. However, the younger Khamenei was reportedly absent at the time and has thus far endured the severe bombardment of Iran.
{{/usCountry}}Iran's Assembly of Experts – the 88-member clerical institution responsible for selecting the nation's supreme leader – has urged the Iranian populace to uphold unity and express their support for Mojtaba Khamenei.
In a statement disseminated through state media on Sunday, the assembly indicated that Khamenei was appointed following a "decisive vote".
It called on all Iranians, particularly the elites and scholars from seminaries and universities, to pledge allegiance to the leadership and preserve unity.
Trump calls Khamenei's son a ‘lightweight’
Speaking in another interview, Trump told Axios that Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, taking over as the new leader of the Islamic Republic is "unacceptable". He expressed a desire for a leader who would "bring harmony and peace to Iran".
Trump remarked that appointing someone who would perpetuate Khamenei's policies would inevitably lead the US back to war "in five years".
Before Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment, Trump maintained that the US should have a role in determining the next leader of Iran, akin to previous US involvement in Venezuela.
"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela," the President said.
The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's supreme leader has led the nation's ultraconservatives to challenge the United States and Israel, suggesting their determination to continue the conflict, experts informed AFP.