- US President Trump supports assassinating Iran's new Supreme Leader if demands aren't met
- Demands focus on Iran abandoning its nuclear weapons programme
- Israeli forces likely to lead the operation, similar to the killing of Ali Khamenei
US President Donald Trump has said that he would support the assassination of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if he does not cooperate with US demands, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The demands largely include Iran giving up its nuclear weapons programme, with Trump ready to eliminate the newly appointed leader if he refuses.
US officials said the operation would likely be led by Israeli forces, similar to the one that killed his father on February 28.
Trump has expressed strong disapproval after Iran elected the second son of Ali Khamenei as the new leader. He said that Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not be able to "live in peace".
Trump "Not Happy" With Mojtaba Khamenei
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he is "not happy" with Iran's choice of leader. "I don't believe he can live in peace," Trump said.
Prior to Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment, Trump insisted that the US should have a say in selecting the next leader for Iran, similar to past US involvement in Venezuela.
The late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes on February 28th, had made clear in his will that he did not want his son to succeed him, according to a report by the New York Post. However, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ultimately pushed Mojtaba into the position anyway.
According to experts, the elder Khamenei had serious reservations about his son's suitability for the role.
Khamenei Did Not Want Son As Successor
"In Khamenei's will, he explicitly asked Mojtaba not to be named as successor," said Khosro Isfahani, research director at the opposition group National Union for Democracy, which has ties to Iranian intelligence networks.
Mojtaba, 56, had never held an official government position before his appointment. Much of his influence came from operating behind the scenes within his father's inner circle as the Islamic Republic tightened its conservative grip on power.
Leaked US diplomatic cables from the 2000s described him as "the power behind the robes". Around the same time, he was accused of helping manipulate Iran's presidential elections to ensure victories for regime loyalists.
Meanwhile, Israel's military has previously warned that any Iranian leader who continues Tehran's campaign of terrorism would be considered an "unequivocal target for elimination".
