Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ali Khamenei, has been selected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader following his father’s death in U.S.-Israeli strikes—a decision that is expected to provoke U.S. President Donald Trump.
The appointment of Mojtaba, 56, who established himself as a powerful figure behind the scenes during his father’s decades-long rule, appears to have only hardened the Iranian regime’s stance against the United States. Numerous senior officials have vowed to continue the widening conflict, which has now entered its tenth day.
“We pledge that, in defense of the rights of the great Iranian nation, the advancement of national interests and security, and the realization of the lofty goals of the Islamic Revolution, we shall not falter for a moment,” said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shortly after the announcement.
“We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop of our blood,” read a statement from the defense council.
These hardline vows of loyalty stand in stark contrast to Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender” from Iran—a sentiment echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday, who insisted that Iran has “no choice” but to retreat.
Moreover, the installation of Mojtaba contradicts the U.S. President’s other requirement that Iran must choose a successor who is acceptable to the United States.
“I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei,” Trump told TIME on Wednesday, when reports were circulating that Ali’s second son was the favorite to succeed him. “They can select, but we have to make sure it’s somebody that’s reasonable to the United States.”
Following the appointment of Mojtaba, Trump reportedly told Fox News he is “not happy.”
The U.S. President had previously argued that Mojtaba was not a viable candidate to lead Iran and indicated that the U.S. would not support that line of succession. Below is a summary of his remarks:
Trump labels Mojtaba an “unacceptable” choice
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump told Axios on Thursday.
He sought to play an active role in the selection of Iran’s new leader, similar to the situation that unfolded after U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolás Maduro in January.
Trump doubled down on the position he made clear to TIME, expressing his refusal to accept a new leadership that would simply continue the former Ayatollah’s hardline policies.
Accusing Iran of “wasting” time on Mojtaba, he described the second son as a “lightweight.”
Trump warns he doesn’t want the U.S. to have to return to Iran in the future
In another interview, Trump explained the reasoning behind his desire to be involved in the selection process of Iran’s new leader, arguing it is “so we don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again.”
“We want somebody that’s going to be great for the people, great for the country,” he said Thursday, adding that Mojtaba was an unlikely choice.
While Trump stated he does not wish for the U.S. to have to return to Iran, he once again failed to provide a timeline for when the current war might conclude.
“I would say it’s moving along ahead of schedule, and much stronger than anybody would have ever expected,” he offered, instead of a specific end date.
Trump predicts the new Supreme Leader won’t “last long”
The U.S. President warned Sunday that a new leader “is not going to last long” if they are appointed without his prior approval.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he told ABC News.
Reiterating earlier remarks, Trump added: “We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a President like me that’s not going to do it.”