Trump states displeasure at appointment of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Washington — US President Donald Trump has expressed that he is “not happy” with the selection of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, stating that he will observe developments with care.

“I am not happy (with Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection as Iran’s supreme leader),” Trump said, as quoted by Fox News correspondent Brian Kilmeade, on Sunday (8 March).

Trump also told Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel that he would monitor developments surrounding the selection of Iran’s new supreme leader. “Let’s see what happens,” Trump told the newspaper without providing further explanation.

Earlier that same day, Iran’s Assembly of Experts confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in the initial wave of US-Israeli strikes, had been selected as Iran’s new supreme leader.

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched strikes against targets in Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties.

Iran subsequently responded by launching strikes against Israeli territory and US military facilities throughout the Middle East region, in defence.

The US and Israel initially claimed that their “preliminary” strikes against Iran were necessary to counter threats they assessed to stem from Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, the US and Israel subsequently clarified that they actually sought to bring about a change of power in Iran.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the joint US-Israeli assault on 28 February, and in response, the Tehran government announced a 40-day mourning period.