“Following that, and with the selection of an EXCEPTIONAL and ACCEPTED Leader(s), we, alongside many courageous allies and partners, will dedicate ourselves to reviving Iran from the brink, transforming it into an economically greater, better, and more powerful nation than it has ever been,” announced Trump.
He concluded his social media message with “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!),” a twist on his well-known campaign catchphrase, “Make America Great Again.”
On Thursday, Trump called upon the Iranian populace to “reclaim your nation,” assuring them of US “immunity,” though he did not provide further details.
In discussions with media representatives, he expressed his desire to participate in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who perished in the initial attacks of the conflict.
Trump was dismissive of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei—a leading candidate to succeed his father—labeling him as “a lightweight.”
Meanwhile, Iranian state television announced on Friday that a leadership council had begun deliberations on how to convene the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for appointing the new supreme leader.
Buildings associated with the 88-member clerical panel, have been attacked during the Israeli-US airstrike campaign. Israel has said it would target the next supreme leader if he poses a threat.
Israeli strikes pound Iran and Lebanon
Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut and Tehran as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war.
The strikes in Lebanon were the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict.
More than 95,000 people have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israeli evacuation warnings.
The US and Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program.
The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the US has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.
The war has escalated to affect more than a dozen countries across the Middle East and beyond, and has caused a spike in oil prices.
Qatar’s energy minister warned that it could “bring down the economies of the world,” predicting a widespread shutdown of Gulf energy exports that could send oil to $US150 ($215) a barrel.
Saad al-Kaabi told the Financial Times newspaper that even if the war ended immediately it could take “weeks to months” to resume normal exports after an Iranian drone strike on Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas plant earlier in the war.
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