WSJ: Trump Backed The Elimination Of Iran's New Leader
- 10.03.2026, 9:07
The operation could be carried out by Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told his aides that he will support the assassination of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei if he refuses to give in to Washington's demands, current and former U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
In particular, they said, the White House chief expects Khamenei to agree to curtail Iran's nuclear program. Otherwise, the operation to eliminate it may be carried out by Israel, which killed Mojtaba's 86-year-old father Ali Khamenei with missile strikes on February 28, the interlocutors of the publication noted. At the same time, Mojtaba Khamenei is seen in Washington as a hardliner against the United States and is not expected to end the war on American terms, WSJ sources concluded.
On March 8, Iran's Council of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader, Iranian news agencies Fars, Mehr and Tasnim reported. He became the third person to hold the post since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. According to The New York Times, Mojtaba has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and it was the military that pushed for his appointment as the new leader. Trump has said he would not accept a new head of Iran who continues the policies of the assassinated ayatollah. "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We need someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran," the White House head noted, emphasizing that he personally must participate in the appointment of the country's leader. Following the news of Mojtaba's appointment, Trump warned that he "won't last long" if he doesn't get Washington's approval.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said earlier that Tel Aviv would consider any new Iranian leader who continues the course of his predecessors a legitimate "target for elimination." That said, according to Axios, the U.S. considered Mojtaba's assassination during the preparation phase of the military Operation Epic Fury, which began Feb. 28. On March 7, Saudi TV channel Al Hadath reported that he was wounded in one of the attacks. Israeli journalist Amit Sigal cited similar information, citing his own sources.