The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has warned that any individual who becomes the next Supreme Leader of Iran without his approval would not remain in power for long.
Speaking in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Trump said the United States intends to ensure that Iran’s future leadership does not pose a lasting nuclear threat.
According to the US president, his administration is seeking a permanent solution to concerns surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme.
“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. We want to make sure we don’t have to revisit this issue every 10 years, especially when there may not be a president like me willing to confront it.
“I don’t want people to return in five years to deal with the same problem again, or worse, to find that they have developed a nuclear weapon,” he added.
When asked whether he would back a potential leader who previously had connections with Iran’s former ruling establishment, Trump said he could consider such a candidate if the person could guarantee stability.
“I would, in order to choose a good leader. Yes, I would. There are several individuals who could qualify,” he said.
Trump also alleged that Iran previously had plans to expand its influence across the Middle East before recent events disrupted those ambitions.
“They are a paper tiger,” he said. “They weren’t a paper tiger a week ago, I’ll tell you. They were preparing to attack. Their plan was to strike across the entire Middle East and take control of the region.”