US President Donald Trump has stated he is “not happy” with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei. The American leader had purportedly warned repeatedly against electing the son to lead the country as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran intensified. In an interview with Time magazine on Friday, Trump claimed, “I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei. I want to be involved in the selection.” However, two days later, Iran’s Assembly of Experts defied these demands by appointing the 56-year-old son as successor, a move seen as a direct challenge to Washington’s influence.
On Monday, Trump commented on Khamenei’s appointment, saying, “I think they made a big mistake,” and suggested the new Supreme Leader could be targeted and killed like his father. In an earlier interview with the New York Post, the US president declined to provide details on his plans for dealing with the new Iranian leadership, stating, “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.” Close ally Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was “not the change” the US regime was seeking, predicting on social media that he would likely meet the same fate as his father.
The US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, killing Khamenei and several top officials in initial strikes, followed by thousands of attacks that devastated the country and claimed over 1,250 lives. Iran responded with hundreds of missile and drone launches against Israel and US military assets across the Middle East. Iranian attacks also hit energy installations and civilian targets in the Gulf region, largely succeeding in closing the Strait of Hormuz—a critical shipping lane for global oil trade—contributing to a historic spike in oil prices and regional economic strain.
Despite the escalating regional turmoil, Trump has allegedly asserted that he is seeking Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and suggested the war was “already won.” On Monday, he reiterated this confidence to CBS News, claiming the conflict is progressing “very far ahead of schedule.” However, his repeated assertions that Iran is on the verge of collapse and that he would dictate its leadership selection were met with ridicule in Tehran. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran’s fate would be decided by Iranians themselves, not by what he referred to as Jeffrey Epstein’s “gang,” in a pointed critique of US interference.
Policy director at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Ryan Costello, noted that Trump’s rejection of Mojtaba Khamenei may have inadvertently bolstered the new Supreme Leader’s candidacy. Costello told Al Jazeera that the issue shifted from who was the best candidate to how to protect Iranian sovereignty against external aggression. He added that although Trump set high expectations for a quick victory, the US president has seemingly lost control of the conflict, with the blowback from the war proving “strong and intense” as regional disruptions mount.
Some of Trump’s political opponents in the US have used the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei to accuse the American president of lacking a clear vision for the war he started with Israel. Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss stated that Trump replaced “an 86-year-old terrorist dictator with a 56-year-old terrorist dictator,” referring to the Khamenei father and son, and predicted the new leader would escalate regional attacks. He questioned Trump’s strategy in a social media post, writing, “Mr. President, wtf is your plan?” highlighting ongoing skepticism about the US regime’s handling of the conflict.
Source: www.aljazeera.com