Trump says he must be involved in selecting Iran’s next leader

Investing.com -- President Donald Trump said Thursday he needs to personally approve Iran’s next supreme leader, rejecting the likely succession of Mojtaba Khamenei and comparing the situation to his recent intervention in Venezuela.

In an eight-minute phone call with Axios, Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei, is unacceptable as a successor. The Iranian regime has delayed announcing the new supreme leader for several days, though statements by Iranian politicians Thursday suggested an announcement could be imminent.

"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," Trump said. He added that he refuses to accept a new Iranian leader who would continue the former supreme leader’s policies, which he said would force the U.S. back to war "in five years."

"Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline cleric with deep ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed his father, though no formal announcement has been made. He has never held public office.

Israel bombed the Iranian building in Qom housing the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s next supreme leader on Tuesday, seeking to disrupt the vote-counting.

Trump compared the Iran succession to his intervention in Venezuela, where vice president Delcy Rodriguez took over after U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January.

According to Polymarket data, there is a 66% chance Mojtaba Khamenei will be the next supreme leader.

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