"I'm not going to tell you. I'm not telling," US President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with the New York Post on 9/3, when asked about his plans to respond to Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump stated, "I'm not happy about him," but did not reiterate his previous threat that the US would eliminate any future supreme leader of Iran not "approved" by him.

US President Donald Trump oversaw an operation targeting Iran on 1/3. Photo: AFP

The White House chief made the comments one day after Iran's Assembly of Experts announced the selection of Mojtaba, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's next supreme leader. Khamenei died in a joint US and Israeli airstrike against Iran on 28/2.

Ali Larijani, Iran's top national security official, wrote on X today that Mojtaba's election to succeed his father "has plunged aggressive hostile forces into despair."

President Trump had previously publicly warned Iran about its choice of a new leader, stating, "this person must be approved by the US, otherwise they will not last long." Last week, he demanded to be involved in Iran's process of selecting a new supreme leader, acknowledging Mojtaba as a potential candidate but calling the election of Khamenei's son an "unacceptable" outcome.

After the identity of Iran's new supreme leader was announced, many Iranian political and military leaders publicly voiced strong support for Mojtaba. Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran's central square on the evening of 9/3, holding pictures of Mojtaba to pledge their allegiance.

Several countries, including Russia and China, have expressed their positions on Mojtaba.

"I want to reaffirm our steadfast support for Tehran, as well as our solidarity with our Iranian friend," Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in a message to Mojtaba on 9/3, emphasizing that Moscow "has been and will always be a reliable partner for Tehran."

The Kremlin chief noted that as Iran faces "armed aggression," assuming the position of supreme leader will require immense courage and dedication.

Iranians held pictures of new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in Tehran on 9/3. Photo: AFP

China previously stated that Iran's selection of a new supreme leader is an internal matter for the country and respects the decision made by Iran based on its constitution. Beijing also opposes any actions targeting the new Iranian leader.

As Tam (According to New York Post, AFP, Reuters)