WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has asserted his right to be involved in the selection of Iran’s next Supreme Leader, explicitly rejecting the candidacy of Ayatollah Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, while simultaneously launching blistering attacks on key allies Britain and Spain for their lack of support during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
In an interview with American media, President Trump stated that he wants a direct hand in determining who succeeds the late Iranian leader. He dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric with close ties to the Revolutionary Guard who is considered a frontrunner, as a “lightweight” and “unacceptable” .
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” Trump said, according to reports. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.” He warned that installing a leader who continues the policies of the former Supreme Leader would force the United States back into a war with Iran within five years . The President compared the situation to his administration’s recent intervention in Venezuela, insisting, “I have to be involved in the appointment” .
‘He is Not Winston Churchill’
In a separate and wide-ranging critique of US allies, President Trump expressed his deep disappointment with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump explicitly stated that Starmer is “not Winston Churchill,” a pointed comparison given the former British leader’s reputation for steadfast wartime leadership .
Trump’s
