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US President Donald Trump expressed concern over the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as Iran's new Supreme Leader, stating that he does not believe the newly appointed leader of the Islamic Republic will be able to "live in peace" as US military operations in the region against the regime continues.
During an interview with Fox News, the US President also discussed the timing and rationale behind the recent US military strikes on Iran. Trump said the operation was necessary to prevent imminent attacks from Iran, claiming that the strikes had neutralised about half of Iran's missile capabilities. "When we attacked them first, we knocked out 50 per cent of their missiles. If we didn't, it would have been a much harder fight. No other president has the guts to do it. I don't want a president who hasn't got the courage in five or 10 years to go in," he told Fox News. Trump added that without the strikes, Iran could have launched attacks within three days and that obtaining nuclear weapons would have posed an immediate threat. Regarding potential diplomatic engagement, Trump suggested that talks with the Iranian regime are possible but would depend on the terms. "It's possible--it depends on what terms. Possible, only possible. We sort of don't have to speak anymore if you really think about it, but it's possible," Trump stated. The development comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia after the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, following which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries. The US-Israel strikes also killed several senior leaders of the Islamic Republic. Following this, on Sunday, Iran's Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, announced the appointment of the late leader's son, 56-year-old cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, to the position. The leadership transition marks a significant moment in Iran's political history, as Mojtaba Khamenei becomes the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic. Trump, in his first reaction following the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the Supreme Leader, said that he was "not happy" with the selection. The clerical body confirmed that Khamenei was "appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts". (ANI)
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