Iran’s next leader will face immense challenges if the United States does not sanction their rise, President Donald Trump asserted, placing a spotlight on the fragile balance of power in Tehran as the nation prepares to announce a successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Nine days after coordinated US-Israeli strikes reportedly killed Khamenei and intensified tensions across the Middle East, Iran’s Assembly of Experts convened privately to select a new supreme leader, according to members familiar with the process. The clerics declined to disclose the name of the successor, but insiders have pointed to Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late leader, as a likely candidate. Trump has openly dismissed Mojtaba as a potential leader, describing him as an unacceptable “lightweight” unfit to navigate Iran’s internal and external crises.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News, emphasizing that any successor would face limits without Washington’s backing. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”
The remark drew swift rebuttal from Iran’s diplomatic leadership. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that the selection of a supreme leader is an internal matter for Tehran and warned against foreign interference. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Araghchi also called on Trump to apologize to regional populations for the conflict’s escalation, underscoring the deep mistrust shaping US-Iran interactions. Mojtaba Khamenei is widely regarded as a conservative figure aligned with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the country’s military, positioning him as a candidate likely to continue hardline policies.
Israel’s military has warned that any successor could become a target if hostilities persist. Recent operations highlight Israel’s expanding engagement in the conflict. Overnight strikes targeted fuel storage facilities near Tehran and hit a hotel in central Beirut believed to house Iranian commanders. Air raids on five oil facilities around the Iranian capital reportedly killed at least four individuals and sent dense smoke across the city. Tehran authorities reported disruptions to fuel distribution and issued warnings to residents about toxic fumes. Eyewitnesses described a dark haze lingering over the metropolis of 10 million, with fires burning for more than twelve hours and forcing people indoors.
As the war entered its ninth day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared that the country has sufficient resources to continue drone and missile operations in the region for up to six months. Explosions were also reported over Tel Aviv after the Israeli military detected a new wave of Iranian missiles, leaving at least six people injured in central Israel.
Trump declined to rule out the deployment of US ground forces, though he insisted the conflict was nearing a point of victory despite ongoing Iranian attacks. The US president also spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to coordinate military efforts. Britain has permitted the United States to use its bases in what it described as collective self-defense operations.
Meanwhile, Iranian military officials indicated that only first- and second-generation missiles have been deployed so far, warning that more advanced long-range weapons could enter the conflict in the coming days. The interplay of internal succession politics, regional military escalation, and international diplomatic maneuvering underscores the precarious position Tehran faces. For Iran’s next leader, the challenge will be asserting authority internally while navigating the pressures of a rapidly intensifying regional war and the scrutiny of global powers.
