President Donald Trump said earlier on Sunday that Iran’s new leader ‘won’t last long’ if he was not approved by the United States.
The son of eliminated Iranian leader Ali Khamenei will replace his father, according to state media on March 8.
Mojtaba Khamenei has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and influence with local clerics.
President Donald Trump, who has said that he needs to be involved in picking Iran’s next leader, previously said he did not support Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father.
Hours before Sunday’s announcement, Trump warned if the successor was not approved by the U.S., “he’s not going to last long.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
By Jacki Thrapp
