U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after saying he believes he should personally be involved in selecting Iran’s next leader following the d+ath of the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Speaking in an interview with Axios, Trump warned that Iran would be making a mistake if it attempted to appoint a new leader without U.S. involvement.
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According to him, Iran was “wasting its time” if it tried to move ahead with the succession process independently.
Trump acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, is widely viewed as the most likely successor. However, he made it clear that he would oppose such a move.
“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said. “I have to be involved in the appointment.”
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He further warned that any new leader who continued the policies of the previous administration could trigger future tensions between Iran and the United States.
Trump said such a development could lead to renewed conflict “in five years.”
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran”, he said.
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