US intelligence has reportedly told President Donald Trump and a small group of his close advisers that Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has reservations about his son succeeding him.
According to a CBS News report, the former leader was “wary” of his son taking over because he was perceived as “not very smart” and was aware that Mojtaba Khamenei “has problems in his personal life”. He was seen as ‘unqualified to be a leader’, the outlet said, citing sources with knowledge of the intelligence.
Earlier this month, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei – the second son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – was elected as the country’s new supreme leader. At the time, an Iran International report mentioned that the decision was allegedly taken under pressure from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Ayatollah Khamenei was killed during the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Saturday, February 28. A few hours later, the same day – Iran retaliated – with exposures reported in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, among other places in the Middle East where US military bases are also located.
How did Trump respond to the post?
Trump reportedly told those close to him that he wasn’t sure if the information about Mojtab Khamenei was important. POTUS believes Iran is now essentially leaderless, with the younger Khamenei possibly dead, CBS News reported.
On Friday, the US State Department ₹83 million) Mojtaba Khamenei and senior IRGC officials”>placed $10 million (via ₹83 million) to Mojtaba Khamenei and senior IRGC officials as part of the Rewards for Justice program, Washington’s boldest intelligence action against Tehran to date.
“Leading disappeared…”
Trump has publicly suggested that the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has little faith in his son as a potential leader.
“Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone. Now their third leadership is in trouble and it’s not somebody that father wanted at all,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Friday.
Trump also called the new supreme leader a “lightweight” and said such a figure would be an “unacceptable” leader for Iran. He further indicated that he would like some level of oversight over who ultimately becomes Iran’s next leader.
On Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded and “probably disfigured”. Although he did not present evidence of Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition, he criticized the absence of a video or audio statement, calling it “poor” communication.
