Won't 'last long' without US approval: Trump on Iran's next supreme leader
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
A new supreme leader of Iran won't "last long" if the Iranian side does not first gain approval from the United States, Donald Trump stated in his interview with ABC News.
"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. 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," the US president said.
He added that he does not want people to have to return in five years and repeat the same as now, or worse, allow Tehran to possess nuclear weapons.
When asked whether he would approve someone linked to the old regime, Trump replied, "I would, in order to choose a good leader I would, yeah, I would. There are numerous people that could qualify."
Trump on Iran conflict
According to ABC News, President Trump, as another justification for starting a war, said that Iran is planning to dominate the entire Middle East, hinting that he must stop them.
"They are a paper tiger. They weren't a paper tiger a week ago, I'll tell you. And they were going to attack. Their plan was to attack the entire Middle East, to take over the entire Middle East," he said.
The US leader also did not rule out the possibility of sending special forces to seize enriched uranium in Iran.
"Everything is on the table. Everything," he added.
Trump calls for regime change
Last week, the US president told journalists that he had three candidates for Iran's next leader, without specifying names.
Recently, he also said he wants a complete leadership change in Iran. According to him, the United States wants Tehran to have a good leader, and suitable candidates are already being considered.
In addition, media reports suggested that Mojtaba, son of the late Ali Khamenei, was chosen as the new supreme leader. However, follow-up reports indicate that the election may not have actually taken place.
Speaking on this topic, President Trump said that the United States wants to influence the election of Iran's next leadership and emphasized that Mojtaba does not meet Washington's approval.
