President Trump has voiced his dissatisfaction with Iran's newly appointed supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei assumed leadership over the weekend after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed during the initial stages of the ongoing war. President Trump, speaking to Fox News, stated, "I am not happy" with Mojtaba Khamenei's rise to power. Earlier last week, Trump had characterized Khamenei's son as a "lightweight" and deemed him "unacceptable" to lead Iran, emphasizing his desire for U.S. involvement in approving Iran's leadership.
Trump previously indicated that any new leader in Iran would require U.S. approval to remain in power. Khamenei, 57, has maintained close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps throughout his father's tenure.