Iran's Top Diplomat Asserts Citizens, Not US President, Will Choose Country's Next Leader

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted on Sunday that the Iranian people, rather than US President Donald Trump, would be responsible for electing their new leader, and he also called for Trump to apologize for initiating the war with Iran.

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The demand for an apology came as Araghchi emphasized that Iran's domestic affairs are off-limits to external interference, stating that the selection of a new leader is a matter for the Iranian people to decide.

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Trump, however, reiterated his stance on Sunday, insisting that he should have a say in the selection of Iran's next supreme leader, following the death of Ali Khamenei in the early stages of the US-Israeli attack that began nine days ago.

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The US President told ABC News that any potential successor would need to obtain approval from the US, warning that without such approval, they would not remain in power for long.

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Araghchi declined to speculate on who might succeed Khamenei, while Iranian state media reported that the clerical body responsible for making this decision had voted and would soon announce the name of the new leader.

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Some clerics have suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, could be chosen as his successor, although Trump has previously expressed opposition to this possibility.

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Araghchi emphasized that the selection of a new supreme leader would be determined by the Assembly of Experts, which would convene and vote on the matter, and that the US should not interfere in this process.

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Trump indicated to ABC that he would be open to a successor with ties to the Iranian government prior to the 1979 Islamic revolution, suggesting that there are several individuals who could potentially qualify for the role.

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Araghchi also addressed the issue of Iranian attacks on Gulf neighbors during the war, justifying these strikes as targeted at US bases in the region, given that Iranian missiles are incapable of reaching the United States.

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He defended Iran's actions, stating that the US had initiated the war and that Iran was simply defending itself, with its missiles targeting American bases and installations in neighboring countries.

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Trump has claimed that Iranian missiles could soon be capable of striking the United States, despite a US intelligence assessment from 2025 stating that Tehran did not possess intercontinental ballistic missiles and that it may take until 2035 to develop 60 such weapons.