Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has insisted that the decision on who will become the country’s next supreme leader rests solely with the Iranian people, rejecting suggestions by Donald Trump that the United States should play a role in the process.
Speaking during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Araghchi emphasized that Iran would not tolerate any external interference in its internal political affairs. He stressed that the selection of the new leader will be determined through Iran’s established system.
His remarks followed statements by Trump, who earlier suggested he should have influence over the appointment of Iran’s next supreme leader after the death of Ali Khamenei during the early phase of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
Trump had also dismissed the possibility of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father.
However, Araghchi declined to reveal who might become the next supreme leader. Iranian state media reported that the clerical body responsible for making that decision had already held a vote and could announce the successor soon, with some religious figures reportedly supporting Mojtaba Khamenei.
The foreign minister explained that the final decision would be made by the Assembly of Experts, the council responsible for electing the country’s supreme leader.
Araghchi also called on Trump to apologise to people in the Middle East and Iran, accusing the United States of initiating the conflict and causing widespread destruction.
He defended Iran’s missile strikes during the war, explaining that the attacks were directed at American military bases in the region. According to him, Iran targeted U.S. installations in neighbouring countries because its missiles cannot reach American territory.
Trump, however, has warned that Iran could eventually develop missiles capable of striking the United States. A U.S. intelligence assessment released in 2025 indicated that Iran currently does not possess intercontinental ballistic missiles and may not be able to develop such weapons until around 2035.
