Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has declared that the Iranian people alone will decide the country’s next leader following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the early stages of the ongoing conflict between Iran the United States and Israel.
Speaking during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday Araghchi rejected comments by US President Donald Trump who had suggested he should have influence over the selection of Iran’s next supreme leader. The Iranian foreign minister insisted that the decision rests solely with Iran’s internal institutions and its citizens.
He stressed that no foreign government would be allowed to interfere in the country’s domestic political process. According to him the leadership transition will follow the constitutional procedures already elished in Iran.
Araghchi explained that the Assembly of Experts the clerical body responsible for choosing the supreme leader will meet to decide on a successor. Iranian state media reported that the body had already voted and that the name of the new leader could be announced soon.
Speculation has grown around Mojtaba Khamenei the son of the late supreme leader as a possible successor. However Araghchi declined to confirm any specific candidate saying the official decision will be announced after the Assembly of Experts completes its process.
The foreign minister also demanded an apology from Donald Trump accusing the United States of initiating the conflict and causing widespread destruction in the region. He said the Iranian people and others in the Middle East deserve an apology for what he described as ings and damage caused by the war.
Araghchi further defended Iran’s recent missile s on locations in neighbouring Gulf countries explaining that the strikes were aimed at American military bases in the region. He argued that Iran was responding to s by the United States and was acting in self defence.
The conflict has raised fears of wider inility across the Middle East as tensions between the United States Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
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