Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s next supreme leader may struggle to remain in power without his approval, as Tehran prepares to announce a successor to the late Ali Khamenei.
Nine days after joint strikes by the United States and Israel killed Khamenei and pushed the Middle East toward a broader conflict, Iran’s Assembly of Experts reportedly met in private and selected a new leader.
Members of the clerical body said the name of the successor would be announced soon, although it was not disclosed during the meeting. Some insiders have suggested that Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could succeed his father.
Trump had earlier dismissed the possibility of Mojtaba taking over, reportedly describing him as an unacceptable “lightweight.”
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News, referring to Iran’s next leader. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”
However, Iran’s top diplomat insisted that the decision lies solely with Tehran and warned against any foreign interference.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said selecting a new supreme leader is an internal matter for Iran and stressed that the country would not allow outside powers to influence its domestic affairs. Speaking on Meet the Press on NBC, he also called on Trump to apologise to people in the region for the escalating conflict.
Mojtaba Khamenei is widely regarded as a conservative figure, in part because of his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological branch of Iran’s military.
Israel’s military has also warned that any successor to Khamenei could become a target if the conflict continues.
Overnight, Israel launched new operations that highlighted the widening scope of the war. Air strikes targeted fuel storage facilities in and around Tehran, while another attack hit a hotel in central Beirut believed to be hosting suspected Iranian commanders.
Warplanes struck five oil facilities around the Iranian capital, killing at least four people and sending thick smoke across the city, according to a state oil official.
Tehran’s governor said fuel distribution in the capital had been temporarily disrupted, while residents reported a dark haze hanging over the city of about 10 million people. Authorities warned that fumes from the fires could be toxic and advised residents to remain indoors as the smell of burning fuel spread across parts of the city.
One resident said the fires had been burning for more than 12 hours, making the air difficult to breathe and forcing many people to stay inside their homes.
As the war entered its ninth day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the country had enough supplies to continue drone and missile attacks across the region for up to six months.
Several explosions were also heard over Tel Aviv after the Israeli military detected a new wave of Iranian missiles. Emergency services reported that at least six people were injured in central Israel.
Trump also declined to rule out deploying US ground troops in Iran, although he insisted the war was close to being won despite ongoing missile and drone strikes.
The US president held a phone call with Keir Starmer on Sunday to discuss military cooperation. United Kingdom has allowed the United States to use its bases for what officials described as collective self-defence operations in the region.
Meanwhile, an Iranian military spokesperson said the country had so far used only first- and second-generation missiles but warned that more advanced long-range weapons could be deployed in the coming days.
