Trump: US, Israel could target Iran’s new supreme leader too

On March 9, U.S. President Donald Trump said that “nobody knows” who will lead Iran following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, being appointed as the country’s new supreme leader, CNN reports.

“Their terrorist leaders are gone, or counting down the minutes until they will be gone — and now nobody has any idea who the people are that are going to be the head of the country,” Trump said during a Republican House caucus meeting in Florida. 

Trump, who previously described Mojtaba Khamenei as an unacceptable candidate for the country’s top post, stressed that he must play a role in determining Iran’s new leadership. He also hinted that U.S. and Israeli forces could target Mojtaba Khamenei, telling ABC News over the weekend: “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”