Donald Trump is clear that on the world chessboard, he wants to move all the pieces. This Monday, the U.S. president once again lashed out at Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, whom he not only called a “lightweight”, but warned that his stay in power depends on only one approval: that of the White House.
President Trump stressed his rejection of the election of the new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the top Iranian leader assassinated during the Epic Fury operation and assured that he would like to see an interim leader as happened in Venezuela, after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Trump rejects the new Ayatollah
🚨 IRAN MAKES IT OFFICIAL: Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the ayatollah, is the NEW SUPREME LEADER.
Trump responds:
“UNACCEPTABLE. Whoever wants to be a leader… ends up dead.” pic.twitter.com/r6eUsJU68j– Jhonf Fonseca (@Jhonffonseca) March 8, 2026
From Florida, Trump surprised everyone by suggesting that Iran should follow in Caracas’ footsteps.
Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro last January, Delcy Rodríguez’s tenure as interim figurehead has been music to Washington’s ears.
“We have a woman, Delcy Rodriguez, who is very respected and is doing a great job,” the Republican pointed out.
The president stressed that this transition model has facilitated oil agreements and has distanced powers such as China and Russia from the region.
For Trump, an “interim leader” in Tehran would be the key to curbing the conflict.
“If it doesn’t have our approval, it won’t last.”
🇮🇷🇺🇸 | Iran indicates that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is the new Supreme Leader and becomes a target of the U.S. and Israel.
Trump warned that “he won’t last long if he doesn’t have U.S. support” and adds, “We want to make sure he doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/zFPSHQMuvP
– World Alert (@AlertaMundoNews) March 8, 2026
The warning to the son of the late Ali Khamenei was direct and unfiltered.
Trump questioned whether Mojtaba, 56, can hold the reins of the country without U.S. endorsement.
“He will have to get our approval. If he doesn’t get it, he won’t last long,” the president said in an interview with ABC News.
Despite the fact that the Revolutionary Guard has already pledged allegiance to the new Ayatollah with a flurry of attacks on his behalf, Trump insists that Iran is a “paper tiger” whose defenses have been neutralized by Operation Epic Fury.
According to the Republican leader, the offensive seeks to prevent the Persian regime from taking over the entire Middle East.
After Maduro’s capture on January 3, Delcy Rodriguez, who served as his vice-president, was kept in power and has facilitated oil deals for the United States and renounced Caracas’ relations with other powers such as China or Russia.
Mojtaba Khamenei was elected on Sunday as the third leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s holy system to “prevent the country from becoming leaderless.”
The Revolutionary Guard, the country’s most powerful military body, expressed its loyalty and saluted him by launching a wave of attacks on his behalf.
Trump has justified the military offensive on Iran’s alleged intention to “take over the entire Middle East” and described the country as a “paper tiger” whose defense capabilities have been neutralized.
Filed under: Trump rejects the new Ayatollah
With information from EFE
