Donald Trump warns Iran’s next supreme leader may not “last long” without US approval as Tehran prepares to announce Ayatollah Khamenei’s successor amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Donald Trump warns Iran’s next supreme leader may not “last long” [Photo: X]
US President Donald Trump issued a strong warning about Iran’s political future, saying the country’s next supreme leader “is not going to last long” without approval from the United States. His remarks came as Iran moved closer to announcing a successor to its long-time leader, Ali Khamenei, whose death during recent military strikes triggered a major political transition in Tehran.
Iranian authorities are expected to reveal the new supreme leader soon after the country’s powerful clerical body completes a vote to select the successor. The decision comes at a time when tensions across the Middle East remain extremely high following days of military exchanges and air strikes.
The leadership transition in Iran has drawn global attention because the position of the supreme leader holds the highest authority in the country’s political and military system.
Trump’s remarks added a new layer of geopolitical tension to the already volatile situation in the region. The US president suggested that Iran’s future leader would struggle to remain in power without the acceptance of the United States.
His comments came as military developments continued across the Middle East, with several countries closely monitoring Iran’s leadership transition. The statement also reflects the deep political rivalry between Washington and Tehran, which has intensified during the recent conflict involving Iran and Israel.
Analysts say that leadership changes in Iran could influence the country’s foreign policy direction, especially regarding its relations with Western nations and regional powers.
The process of selecting Iran’s new leader is handled by the Assembly of Experts, a powerful clerical council responsible for appointing and supervising the supreme leader. One of its members, Ahmad Alamolhoda, confirmed that the council had already reached a decision on the next leader.
“The vote to appoint the leader has taken place, and the leader has been chosen,” said Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, as quoted by Iran’s Mehr news agency. However, the council has not yet publicly announced the name of the chosen successor. Officials said the body’s secretariat would release the official announcement later.
Speculation has already begun about who might take over the influential position. Some members of the assembly reportedly suggested that the late leader’s son could be chosen for the role, though authorities have not confirmed this.
The leadership change comes in the aftermath of intense military action in the region. Recent US-Israeli air strikes reportedly targeted fuel storage facilities around Tehran, triggering large fires and sending thick smoke across parts of the city. The attacks followed earlier strikes that killed Ayatollah Khamenei, an event that dramatically escalated the conflict in the Middle East.
Israel has also issued a warning that it could target Iran’s new leader if the conflict continues. Israeli officials stated that they would not hesitate to strike key Iranian decision-makers if they believed it was necessary for security.
Overnight operations also included an attack on a hotel in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, where suspected Iranian commanders were believed to be staying. These developments show how the conflict has spread beyond Iran and Israel, raising concerns about a wider regional confrontation.
Despite the ongoing strikes and political uncertainty, Iran’s military leadership has signalled that it remains prepared for a prolonged conflict. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had sufficient resources to continue drone and missile operations for months if the war continues.
According to officials, the country has already deployed numerous drones and missiles across different areas in the Middle East during the conflict. The war has now entered its ninth day, with both sides showing no immediate signs of stepping back from military action.
The role of Iran’s supreme leader is one of the most powerful political positions in the Middle East. The leader has authority over the country’s military, judiciary, and major political decisions. Because of this influence, the choice of the next leader could shape Iran’s domestic policies as well as its relationships with other nations.
With tensions already high in the region, the announcement of Iran’s new supreme leader is likely to attract significant global attention in the coming days. Observers say the decision could affect the future direction of the ongoing conflict and broader geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.
