Trump Says Iran’s New Leader ‘Won’t Last Long’ as Appointment Is Confirmed

US President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning before and after Iran officially named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader on Sunday, declaring that the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would not last long if Tehran did not first obtain Washington’s approval. Trump had previously identified Mojtaba as the most likely successor and described him as an unacceptable choice. After the announcement, when pressed for a reaction by Israeli media, Trump offered a more measured response: ‘We’ll see what happens.’
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was formally confirmed by the Assembly of Experts following what the body described as a decisive vote. The appointment follows the death of his father in a joint US-Israeli military strike on Tehran on February 28. Mojtaba’s name had been circulating as a potential successor for years, though his formal elevation was still considered a significant step given his lack of experience in any elected or publicly accountable government role.
Trump’s interview with the Times of Israel also contained broader assertions about the conflict’s aims and outcomes. The US president claimed that Iran had been on the verge of destroying Israel and that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had worked together to prevent it. He described the outcome as the partial dismantling of a country that sought to eliminate Israel. Trump added that the question of when to end the war would be decided mutually between himself and Netanyahu.
These remarks added political fuel to an already volatile situation. Iran’s state media showed missiles bearing messages of allegiance to the new supreme leader, and the Houthi rebels issued celebratory statements. Israel launched new strikes inside Iran on Monday. Gulf states reported attacks from Iranian forces. Two people were killed in Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain’s desalination infrastructure was damaged. Oil prices surged and the IRGC threatened to push them even higher.
Trump’s warning that Mojtaba would not last long adds a layer of direct US pressure on the new Iranian leader from his first day in office. Whether this reflects genuine policy intent, political posturing, or an attempt to influence the dynamics within Iran is difficult to assess. What is clear is that the new supreme leader faces threats on multiple fronts simultaneously — military, economic, political, and diplomatic — with no margin for error.