United States President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran's incoming supreme leader, declaring that any successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will struggle to remain in power without Washington's explicit approval.
The warning comes nine days after coordinated US-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei, dramatically escalating the conflict in the Middle East and plunging the region into broader warfare. Iran's Assembly of Experts has since met privately and selected a new leader, though the name has not yet been publicly disclosed.
During an interview with ABC News, Trump made his position unequivocally clear regarding Tehran's leadership transition. "He's going to have to get approval from us," the President stated, referring to Iran's next leader. "If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long."
The President had earlier rejected the possibility of Khamenei's 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, assuming the role, describing him as an unacceptable "lightweight." Mojtaba is widely viewed as a conservative figure with close ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological branch of the country's military.
Iran's leadership selection process has been thrust into the international spotlight amid the escalating conflict. Some insiders have suggested that Mojtaba could succeed his father, though the Assembly of Experts has not confirmed the identity of the chosen successor, stating only that an announcement would be made soon.
However, Iran's top diplomat swiftly rejected Trump's assertions, insisting the decision belongs solely to Tehran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, emphasized that the choice of a new supreme leader is an internal matter for Iran and warned against any foreign interference.
Araghchi also called on Trump to apologize to the people of the region for the escalating conflict, which has now entered its ninth day with no end in sight.
Israel's military has also warned that any successor to Khamenei could become a target if the conflict continues. Overnight, Israel carried out new operations that underlined its expanding reach in the war. Air strikes targeted fuel storage facilities in and around Tehran, while another attack struck a hotel in central Beirut believed to be hosting suspected Iranian commanders.
Warplanes hit five oil facilities around the Iranian capital, killing at least four people and sending thick smoke across the city, according to a state oil executive. Tehran's governor confirmed that fuel distribution in the capital had been temporarily disrupted, while residents reported a dark haze covering the city of about 10 million people.
Authorities warned that fumes from the fires could be toxic and advised residents to stay indoors as the smell of burning fuel lingered across parts of the city. One Tehran resident said the fires had been burning for more than 12 hours, making the air difficult to breathe and forcing many people to remain inside their homes.
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.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the country has enough supplies to continue drone and missile attacks across the region for up to six months. An Iranian military spokesman added that 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.
Trump again declined to rule out deploying US ground troops in Iran, though he insisted the war was close to being won despite ongoing missile and drone attacks. The US president also held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday to discuss military cooperation. Britain has allowed the United States to use its bases for what it described as collective self-defence operations in the region.
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