President Donald Trump Says Iran's Next Supreme Leader Must Have US Approval to Remain in Power

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Donald Trump, President of the United States, said the next supreme leader of Iran would not remain in power for long without Washington’s approval.

In remarks to ABC News on Sunday, Trump said Iran’s upcoming leader would need approval from the United States to maintain his position.

“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump said. “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long.”

Trump added that his administration wants to prevent future crises with Iran, saying the goal is to avoid repeating similar confrontations every few years.

“We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it,” he said.

The U.S. president also said he does not want the situation to repeat in five years or for Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

When asked whether he would approve a leader with ties to Iran’s previous ruling establishment, Trump said he would consider it if the candidate proves capable of leading effectively.

“I would, in order to choose a good leader,” he said, adding that several individuals could qualify.

Trump also claimed that Iran had been planning to expand its influence across the Middle East before the recent escalation.

“They are a paper tiger,” Trump said. “They weren’t a paper tiger a week ago. Their plan was to attack the entire Middle East and take over the entire Middle East.”

The remarks come amid heightened tensions following recent military confrontations between the United States and Iran. Washington and Israel launched airstrikes on targets inside Iran in late February, which Tehran responded to with missile attacks targeting Israel and U.S. military positions across the region.

Iran is currently preparing to select a new supreme leader through its constitutional institutions as regional tensions continue to escalate.