The president of the United States, Donald Trump warned this Sunday that Iran will not be able to remain in power without the approval of Washington. His statements come at a time of maximum tension after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the military offensive launched by the US and Israel.
“It’s going to have to receive our approval. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not going to last long.”Trump said in statements to the US network ABC.
The president’s words come the same day that the Iranian religious authorities confirmed that they have already chosen the Khamenei’s successoralthough they have decided not to reveal their identity yet.
“What we want is to make sure that we don’t have to deal with Iran every ten yearswhen I am not there, to repeat the same thing or allow them to get a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The American president also left open the door to accepting a candidate linked to Khamenei himself if he meets certain conditions. “If he ends up being a good leader, and there are many people qualified for that,” he added.
Trump had already acknowledged days ago that some possible successors acceptable to the US died during the military offensive.
The pools to succeed Khamenei
The death of the supreme leader has opened a delicate succession within the Iranian political system, where the ayatollah holds the most powerful position in the country.
Among the names that sound like possible successors are:
- Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the deceased Ayatollah.
- Asghar Hijazi, close advisor to the supreme leader.
- Ali Larijani, former President of Parliament.
- Sadiq Larijani, influential cleric and former head of the judiciary.
- Hasan Khomeini, grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini.
The Iranian political system establishes that the supreme leader must be elected by the Assembly of Expertsa body composed of clerics that oversees the country’s religious and political leadership.
