Trump and the Israeli military threaten the future leader of Iran. “He'll have to get an approval from us”

Iran's clerics have reached a consensus on a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and are finalizing the decision, according to state media, but US President Donald Trump and Israel have already issued threats over Tehran's future supreme leader. Khamenei, who had taken over the role in 1989, was killed in a US-backed Israeli air strike early in the war.

Whoever is elected “will not last long” without the approval of the United States, Trump said in an interview with ABC News on Sunday.

“He will have to get an approval from us,” warned the American leader. “If it doesn't get an approval from us, it won't last long. We want to make sure we don't have to come back every 10 years,” he continued.

“I don't want people to have to go back in five years and have to do the same thing again, or worse, let (the Iranians, no) have a nuclear weapon,” President Trump said.

Asked if he would be willing to give the go-ahead to electing someone with ties to the old regime, he said: “I would, to get a good leader, I would, yes, I would. There are many people who could qualify.”

The message of the Israeli army

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have threatened to target both Ali Khamenei's successor and those involved in the process of electing the new leader, according to CNN.

“After the removal of the tyrant Khamenei, the terrorist Iranian regime is trying to regroup and elect a new supreme leader,” the IDF said on social media.

“I want to emphasize that the long arm of the State of Israel will continue to pursue the successor and whoever tries to appoint him,” the Israeli military said.

The IDF also issued a warning to those involved in the election process.

“We will not hesitate to target you as well. Consider yourselves warned,” the IDF further stated.