Trump Insists On Getting Involved In Selecting Iran’s New Leader

President Donald Trump said Thursday he must be “involved in the appointment” of Iran’s next leader, dismissing the prospect of Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump told Axios, referring to Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez, who took over after the US captured Nicolás Maduro.

Trump said he would not accept a successor who continues the policies of Iran’s former supreme leader.

“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said, warning that installing a leader who follows the same path could force the United States back to war “in five years.”

His comments came just one day after the White House suggested that regime change in Iran was not the primary objective of the president’s military campaign.

An Iranian missile struck a Bahraini oil refinery Thursday, according to a release from the Bahraini government.

The government said there were no injuries and the refinery is still working.

“A fire broke out at a unit of the BAPCO Energies refinery following an Iranian missile strike,” the release said.

“The fire has been fully contained, there are no reported injuries, and refinery operations continue. An assessment of the damage is currently under way.”