U.S. President Donald Trump called the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader a 'big mistake.' He made the statement in an interview with NBC, reacting to the elections held on Sunday. Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was elected as the third leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran to 'prevent the country from being left without leadership.' Trump, who previously referred to the 56-year-old religious figure as a 'lightweight,' questioned whether the new leader would remain in power without his approval. 'He will have to get our approval,' Trump said in an interview with ABC News. 'If he doesn't get it, he won't last long,' the Republican warned, not ruling out the possibility of accepting a successor linked to the old ayatollah regime as long as he is a 'good leader.' The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation that is now in its second week, with successive bombings of targets inside Iran that have resulted in the death of Ali Khamenei, part of the Iranian military leadership, and hundreds of civilians, including children. Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. embassies and military bases in countries in the region, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in which at least seven American soldiers have been killed. Trump justified the military offensive on the alleged intention of Iran to 'take over the entire Middle East' and described the country as a 'paper tiger' whose defensive capabilities have been neutralized. The Revolutionary Guard, the country's most powerful military corps, expressed its loyalty and hailed him by launching a wave of attacks in his name.
