US President Trump insists on a say in Iran’s leadership as conflict widens, with Israeli strikes hitting Beirut and regional tensions escalating.
BEIRUT: US President Donald Trump has demanded a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader as the Middle East conflict triggered by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing continues to spiral.
Trump rejected the possibility of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, succeeding his slain father, dismissing him as a “lightweight”. “I have to be involved in the appointment,” Trump told Axios, comparing the situation to US involvement in Venezuela.
“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he said, threatening more war if a suitable alternative is not found. His remarks suggest a potential openness to working with a figure from within the Islamic Republic’s system.
The war expanded into Lebanon this week after Hezbollah attacked Israel to avenge Khamenei’s death. Israel responded with air strikes and ground incursions into border villages.
Israel’s military issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for all of Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh suburbs, sending residents fleeing in panic. It later announced it had “begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure” in the area.
Hundreds of displaced families gathered on a Beirut beach with nowhere to go. “We fled from the suburbs, we were humiliated,” one man told AFP. Lebanese authorities report at least 123 people killed and 90,000 displaced since Monday.
Regional repercussions extended from Sri Lanka to Azerbaijan. A US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship off the Sri Lankan coast.
Azerbaijan warned a drone attack on an airport “will not go unanswered”, raising fears of another country entering the war. Iran denied involvement and blamed Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi struck a defiant tone, saying Tehran had not sought a ceasefire. “We are confident that we can confront them and that would be a big disaster for them,” he told NBC News regarding a potential US ground invasion.
An Iranian state-run foundation said the death toll from US and Israeli strikes inside Iran has risen to 1,230. The US military has reported six personnel killed since the war began.
Israel claimed to have destroyed 60% of Iran’s missile launchers and 80% of its air defence systems. Army chief Zamir announced a “next phase” in the campaign, promising “additional surprises ahead”.
The conflict has also hit Gulf monarchies. Qatar intercepted an incoming missile attack over Doha, while falling drone debris injured six in Abu Dhabi.
A missile strike sparked a blaze at Bahrain’s main oil refinery, and Western diplomats in Riyadh were told to shelter in place.
The Sun Malaysia
