Trump has ‘no message’ for Iran’s new leader, has replacement in mind; war is ‘very complete, pretty much’

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was “not happy” with the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s next supreme leader, and has “no message” for him, while asserting that he had a replacement in mind, without saying who that was. He also said, confusingly, that the war was “very complete, pretty much.”

Israel, meanwhile, said the incoming head of the regime has hands “already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father’s rule.”

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei – whom the US and Israel assassinated in the opening salvo of their ongoing war against the Islamic Republic – was announced as Iran’s next supreme leader on Sunday.

The hardliner, whose election was hailed by Iran’s proxy forces throughout the Middle East, has not been seen in public since the start of the war.

State TV on Monday referred to the younger Khamenei as having already been wounded in the war. The anchors read reports describing him as “janbaz,” or injured by the enemy, in the “Ramadan war,” which is how media in Iran refer to the current conflict.

Even prior to Khamenei’s appointment, Israel had said it would target whoever succeeded the elder Khamenei.

Responding to his election, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father’s rule. Another tyrant to continue the Iranian regime’s brutality.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father’s rule.
Another tyrant to continue the Iranian regime’s brutality. pic.twitter.com/VW54UWpIdp

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— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) March 9, 2026

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon likewise told reporters: “Changing the man at the top does not change the regime.”

He added: “The new leader, unfortunately, is more of the same ideology, the same radical ideas, and … anyone who will promote those radical ideas against us, we will target them, we will find them.”

Danon said the people of Iran should rise up to choose their next leader and added: “We will have to create the conditions for them, and that is what we are doing now.”

Trump, meanwhile, told The New York Post he was “not happy” with Khamenei’s appointment, going further than he did when speaking to The Times of Israel the previous night.

Asked what his plans are for the new leader, the US president said: “Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.”

Speaking later to CBS News, Trump said of the new leader: “I have no message for him. None, whatsoever.” He then said he has someone in mind to replace Khamenei, but didn’t elaborate.

In the same interview, Trump said: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” adding that the campaign is “very far” ahead of his previous estimate of a war lasting 4-5 weeks.

The US president has said in recent days that any future Iranian leadership must win American approval, though he’s declined to go into further detail. Despite speaking positively, on several occasions, about the possibility of toppling the Islamic Republic, Trump has also said that he’d be open to leadership from within the current regime.

Senior Israeli official warns: No ‘day after’ plan for Iran war

A senior Israeli official, said to be familiar with the planning and strategy for the Iran war, told The Washington Post on Monday that Jerusalem has not identified any viable replacement for the current Iranian leadership.

“We don’t see anyone who can replace the regime,” the Israeli official said in a phone interview, adding, “I’m not sure it’s in our interest to fight until the regime is toppled…Nobody wants a never-ending story.”

The official assessed that “the regime’s centralized command-and-control structure was weakening, and there were early signs of internal rifts — but nothing to indicate that a crack-up is close,” according to the Post. The official was also said to doubt “that arming the Kurds or other minorities would be a good strategy because it would alienate the Iranian majority.”

In light of the apparent complications in toppling the regime, the official presented an offramp to the operation once the military goals are complete, saying, “Of course, we wish to topple the regime, but that’s not the only endgame,” and that “[once the major military targets have been eliminated,] Israel would have achieved its goals…Iran won’t surrender, but it can send messages to accept a ceasefire with US conditions.”

Thousands gather to pledge loyalty to new supreme leader

In Iran, state media showed large crowds in several cities rallying behind the new supreme leader, waving Iranian flags and holding portraits of his father.

Masses of people flocked to Tehran’s Enghelab Square to pledge allegiance to the younger Khamenei. A eulogist could be heard singing: “Either death or Khamenei, our blood leads to paradise.”

In Isfahan, state TV reported the sound of nearby explosions from apparent airstrikes as loyalists gathered in the historic Imam Square, chanting, “God is the Greatest” below a stage with portraits of Ali and Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iranian politicians and institutions also issued pledges of loyalty to the new supreme leader, whose wife, son, and mother also died at the start of the US-Israeli air onslaught, according to Iranian state media.

“We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop of our blood,” a defense council statement said.

Iranian proxies across Mideast hail Mojtaba’s appointment

Pledges of allegiance also came from Iran’s proxy forces in the Middle East.

One statement came from the Hezbollah terror group, which started firing rockets and drones at Israel from Lebanon after Ali Khamenei’s assassination, and has continued to do so while suffering retaliatory airstrikes and amid some Israeli operations on the ground.

“We in Hezbollah extend our warmest congratulations and blessings on this occasion. We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance,” the group said in a statement.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels likewise welcomed Mojtaba’s appointment, writing on Telegram: “We congratulate the Islamic Republic of Iran, its leadership and people, on the selection of Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at this important and pivotal juncture.”

The Houthis called the new supreme leader’s selection “a new victory for the Islamic Revolution and a resounding blow to the enemies of the Islamic Republic and the enemies of the nation.”

In Iraq, the Shiite, pro-Iranian militia Kataeb Hezbollah praised the new leader as “a figure possessing the leadership qualifications and competence necessary to shoulder the responsibilities of this great trust in these critical times.”

In a statement, the group said the choice “is further proof of the vigilance of the Assembly of Experts and their deep foresight regarding the existential challenges facing the nation in confronting global arrogance,” adding that he is “the best successor for the best predecessor.”

Putin congratulates Mojtaba; Beijing says it’s Iran’s business

China said Monday that Iran’s decision to name Khamenei as its new supreme leader was a domestic matter, “based on its constitution,” and that Beijing opposes any attempt to target him.

“China opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext, and Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected,” said China’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, when asked about threats against the new leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin went further, congratulating the new supreme leader on his election, the Kremlin said.

Putin said he was confident Khamenei would continue his father’s work “with honor” and unite the Iranian people “in the face of severe trials.”

He added that Russia will continue to stand by Tehran, saying he wished to “confirm unwavering support for Tehran and solidarity with our Iranian friends.”