Trump unhappy with new Iranian supreme leader, claims to have identified replacement candidate
Donald Trump expressed displeasure over the selection of Iran's new supreme leader and claimed to have identified a potential successor
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – U.S. President Donald Trump expressed displeasure over the selection of Iran’s new supreme leader and claimed to have identified a potential successor, while declining to reveal the individual’s identity.
Reports also emerged that Trump would support killing the newly appointed leader if he refuses U.S. demands.
In an interview with CBS News, Trump was unequivocal about his stance toward Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old cleric who assumed Iran’s highest office following his father’s death in U.S.-Israeli strikes.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Trump had privately told aides he would support killing Khamenei if he refuses to meet U.S. demands, including dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, though the White House has not officially confirmed the discussions.
Trump has been openly critical of Khamenei’s appointment since it was announced, characterizing it as “a big mistake” and warning that any Iranian leader failing to secure Washington’s approval “would not last long.”
Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran’s third supreme leader since the 1979 revolution after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the opening wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28.
A mid-ranking cleric with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he assumed leadership as Tehran continued its retaliatory campaign against American and Israeli targets. His appointment has received IRGC backing but faces unprecedented external pressure from Washington’s maximalist position.
Trump’s public discussion of leadership replacement and potential assassination marks a significant departure from traditional U.S. policy, which has sought to pressure Tehran through sanctions and diplomatic isolation.
The approach carries substantial risks of further inflaming regional tensions and complicating any potential diplomatic resolution to the conflict, which has already claimed more than 1,200 Iranian lives.
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