Trump says Iran’s succession bench wiped out as Israeli strike hits leadership deliberations
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
President Donald Trump said U.S. military strikes on Iran have eliminated much of the regime’s anticipated leadership succession bench, raising new questions about who will emerge to lead the Islamic Republic following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Most of the people we had in mind are dead," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "So, you know, we had some in mind from that group that is, is dead. And now we have another group. They may be dead also based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty soon we're not going to know anybody."
The president said the worst case scenario would be someone taking over "who's as bad as the previous person."
TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?
"That could happen," Trump said. "We don't want that to happen. It would probably be the worse you go through this, and then, in five years, you realize you put somebody in who was no better. We'd like to see somebody in there that's going to bring it back for the people, and we'll see what happens with the people. You know, they have their chance."
The remarks come as Israeli strikes hit the building in the holy city of Qom, Iran, associated with the country's Assembly of Experts — the 88-member clerical body constitutionally responsible for selecting the next supreme leader, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed to Fox News Digital. "We struck a few targets involved in terrorism."
Iranian media has claimed the building was empty at the time of the strikes. Israel does not yet have a battle damage assessment, Defrin said.
The White House has said 49 top Iranian leaders were taken out in the opening phase of the campaign, which Trump said put the operation "ahead of schedule."
Defense officials, however, have stressed the operation was not designed to force regime change.
"This is not a so-called regime change war," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "But the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it today."
That distinction now sits at the center of a critical geopolitical question: If the U.S. did not intend to overthrow Iran’s ruling system but has eliminated much of its top leadership and succession chain, what happens next?
Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader when the position becomes vacant. In the interim, a three-person council — composed of the president, the head of the judiciary and a senior cleric — carries out the leader’s duties until a permanent successor is chosen.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iranian authorities …
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
President Donald Trump said U.S. military strikes on Iran have eliminated much of the regime’s anticipated leadership succession bench, raising new questions about who will emerge to lead the Islamic Republic following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Most of the people we had in mind are dead," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "So, you know, we had some in mind from that group that is, is dead. And now we have another group. They may be dead also based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty soon we're not going to know anybody."
The president said the worst case scenario would be someone taking over "who's as bad as the previous person."
TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?
"That could happen," Trump said. "We don't want that to happen. It would probably be the worse you go through this, and then, in five years, you realize you put somebody in who was no better. We'd like to see somebody in there that's going to bring it back for the people, and we'll see what happens with the people. You know, they have their chance."
The remarks come as Israeli strikes hit the building in the holy city of Qom, Iran, associated with the country's Assembly of Experts — the 88-member clerical body constitutionally responsible for selecting the next supreme leader, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed to Fox News Digital. "We struck a few targets involved in terrorism."
Iranian media has claimed the building was empty at the time of the strikes. Israel does not yet have a battle damage assessment, Defrin said.
The White House has said 49 top Iranian leaders were taken out in the opening phase of the campaign, which Trump said put the operation "ahead of schedule."
Defense officials, however, have stressed the operation was not designed to force regime change.
"This is not a so-called regime change war," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "But the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it today."
That distinction now sits at the center of a critical geopolitical question: If the U.S. did not intend to overthrow Iran’s ruling system but has eliminated much of its top leadership and succession chain, what happens next?
Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader when the position becomes vacant. In the interim, a three-person council — composed of the president, the head of the judiciary and a senior cleric — carries out the leader’s duties until a permanent successor is chosen.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iranian authorities …
Trump says Iran’s succession bench wiped out as Israeli strike hits leadership deliberations
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
President Donald Trump said U.S. military strikes on Iran have eliminated much of the regime’s anticipated leadership succession bench, raising new questions about who will emerge to lead the Islamic Republic following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"Most of the people we had in mind are dead," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "So, you know, we had some in mind from that group that is, is dead. And now we have another group. They may be dead also based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty soon we're not going to know anybody."
The president said the worst case scenario would be someone taking over "who's as bad as the previous person."
TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?
"That could happen," Trump said. "We don't want that to happen. It would probably be the worse you go through this, and then, in five years, you realize you put somebody in who was no better. We'd like to see somebody in there that's going to bring it back for the people, and we'll see what happens with the people. You know, they have their chance."
The remarks come as Israeli strikes hit the building in the holy city of Qom, Iran, associated with the country's Assembly of Experts — the 88-member clerical body constitutionally responsible for selecting the next supreme leader, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed to Fox News Digital. "We struck a few targets involved in terrorism."
Iranian media has claimed the building was empty at the time of the strikes. Israel does not yet have a battle damage assessment, Defrin said.
The White House has said 49 top Iranian leaders were taken out in the opening phase of the campaign, which Trump said put the operation "ahead of schedule."
Defense officials, however, have stressed the operation was not designed to force regime change.
"This is not a so-called regime change war," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said. "But the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it today."
That distinction now sits at the center of a critical geopolitical question: If the U.S. did not intend to overthrow Iran’s ruling system but has eliminated much of its top leadership and succession chain, what happens next?
Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts selects a new supreme leader when the position becomes vacant. In the interim, a three-person council — composed of the president, the head of the judiciary and a senior cleric — carries out the leader’s duties until a permanent successor is chosen.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iranian authorities …
0 Comments
0 Shares
43 Views
0 Reviews
