US President Donald Trump on March 8 (US time) said that the decision to end the war with Iran would be made with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, instead of unilaterally decided by the US. Speaking in a phone interview with The Times of Israel, Mr. Trump said that the two sides had discussed how to resolve the conflict.
Mr. Trump believes that ending the war will be a "common decision". According to him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give his opinion in the process of determining the time and method of resolving the conflict. The US President said he would make a decision at an appropriate time after considering all factors.
While the fighting is continuing, Iran has appointed a new Supreme Leader. The Iranian Council of Experts announced that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the next Supreme Leader of this country.
According to the Council's announcement, the decision was made based on the votes of members and was implemented quickly despite military actions by the US and Israel. Iranian state media reported that the commander of the armed forces had sworn allegiance to Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared its readiness to obey orders and sacrifice to implement the instructions of the new leader. The Supreme Leader is the position with the highest political and religious power in Iran, holding the final decision-making power over national issues.
Mr. Ali Khamenei held this position from 1989 until his death in the raid that launched the US and Israeli military campaign on February 28.
Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei is assessed as having great influence in Iran and has close relations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as well as the Basij militia. Many assessments suggest that his appointment reflects the conservative faction continuing to hold the highest leadership in Iran.
President Donald Trump previously commented that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei "is not worth mentioning". Before Iran announced the new leader, Mr. Trump also said that the US should have a voice in the process of choosing leaders in Iran and warned that if not approved by the US, the new leader of Iran may not maintain power for a long time.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refuted this statement, affirming that the selection of the Supreme Leader is entirely an internal matter of Iran and does not allow any interference. Mr. Araghchi also asked Mr. Trump to apologize to the people in the region for causing the conflict.
