Moscow: US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran’s new leader won’t survive long without America’s approval, while Israel has vowed to hunt down the successor of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated by joint US-Israeli strikes in Tehran on February 28.
At the other end of the spectrum, Vladimir Putin asserted on Monday Russia’s ‘unwavering’ support to Iran in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Putin congratulat
ed Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment as Iran’s new leader, expressing confidence that he will continue his father’s work “with honour” and unite the Iranian people “in the face of severe trials.”
“At a time when Iran is confronting armed aggression, your tenure in this high position will undoubtedly require great courage and dedication,” AFP quoted the Russian President as saying.
In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian three days ago, Putin expressed his deep condolences over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, members of his family, Iranian political and military leaders and “numerous civilians”.
Iran on Monday named Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the Islamic Republic’s next ruler. Born in 1969 in Mashhad, in eastern Iran, Mojtaba is one of six children of the late Supreme Leader.