Trump Claims Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed as Conflict Escalates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader as the U.S. And Israel continued strikes against the country for a sixth day. Iran maintained retaliatory attacks on Israel, American bases, and countries throughout the region.

Trump Seeks Role in Iran’s Leadership Succession

Trump ruled out Mojtaba Khamenei, a potential successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in the initial strikes. Trump’s comments, made to the American news website Axios, raise questions about whether the U.S. And Israel aim to overthrow the Islamic Republic or simply alter its policies, as the conflict appears increasingly open-ended.

Escalating Conflict and Regional Impact

The conflict has expanded daily, now affecting 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond. Azerbaijan accused Iran of drone attacks, which Tehran denied. Iran stated the U.S. Would “bitterly regret” the sinking of an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka a day earlier.

Israel issued a mass evacuation warning for all of Beirut’s southern suburbs as fighting intensified with Iran-allied Hezbollah militants. U.N. Peacekeepers reported ground combat in southern Lebanon as more Israeli troops crossed the border.

The U.S. And Israel have continued to target Iran with nationwide strikes, focusing on military capabilities, leadership, and its nuclear program.

Trump Compares Iran Situation to Venezuela

In an interview with Axios, Trump dismissed the 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, who has never held an elected or appointed government position, as “a light weight.” He stated, “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

Trump also suggested he should be involved in the appointment process, referencing the situation in Venezuela. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to the acting president in the South American country. Delcy Rodríguez took power in January after a U.S. Operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his transport to the U.S. To face federal drug conspiracy charges.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said this week that Iran’s next supreme leader—if he continues to threaten Israel, the U.S., and others— “will be a target for elimination.”

Iran Remains Defiant

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied reports of contact with the U.S. To pursue a ceasefire. “We don’t see any reason why we should negotiate with the U.S.,” Araghchi told NBC News. “When we negotiated with them twice, every time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations.”

Araghchi also accused the U.S. Navy of “an atrocity at sea” for sinking the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, resulting in at least 87 deaths. “The U.S. Will arrive to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set,” he said on social media. The Iranian vessel had returned from an exercise hosted by the Indian navy, which the U.S. Also joined. Sri Lankan authorities reported rescuing 32 crew members.

An Iranian cleric later called for the shedding of both Israeli and “Trump’s blood” on state television. This statement from Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli represented a rare call for violence by an ayatollah, one of Shiite Islam’s highest clerical ranks.

Expanding Regional Impact

Sri Lanka said another Iranian warship was anchored near its coast, with over 200 sailors being escorted to a naval base near Colombo. The ship will be taken to a Sri Lankan port, according to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The Israeli military carried out strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile launch sites, claiming to have destroyed 80% of Iran’s air defenses and 60% of its missile launchers. However, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated, “The threat has not yet been removed.”

Israel announced the closure of holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday after air sirens warned of missile attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. These closures include Christianity’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Judaism’s Western Wall, impacting tens of thousands of Muslims who pray at the compound on Fridays during Ramadan.

Gulf countries also reported coming under fire. The U.S. State Department announced the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, which activated air defense systems after missiles were fired towards it. Iran has launched waves of missiles and drones at the American-allied Gulf country since the start of the conflict. An Iranian drone strike on Sunday killed six American soldiers in Kuwait.

In the United Arab Emirates, a drone was shot down near Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts U.S. Forces. Shrapnel fell to the ground, wounding six people. Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a precaution and later reported a missile attack. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed a drone in a province bordering Jordan. Bahrain said an Iranian missile hit a state-run oil refinery on Thursday, sparking a fire that was extinguished. The refinery remained operational, and there were no reported casualties. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev accused Iran of carrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression” after a drone crashed near the airport in Nakhchivan, a region bordering Iran, wounding four civilian airport workers. Iran denied launching drones toward Azerbaijan.

Since the war began Saturday, ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil prices to soar.