Israel Threatens to Hunt Down Any Successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader as War Rhetoric Intensifies
The Israeli military has issued a stark warning that it will relentlessly pursue anyone who attempts to assume the position of Iran’s supreme leader after the reported killing of Ali Khamenei in a joint military strike conducted by Israel and the United States on February 28.
In a strongly worded message posted in the Persian language on the social media platform X, the Israel Defense Forces warned that it would track and target any individual involved in choosing or becoming the next leader of Iran.
According to the statement, Iranian authorities are now attempting to reorganise their leadership structure after the death of Khamenei and are preparing to appoint a replacement.
The Israeli military said that the body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader — the Assembly of Experts — is expected to convene soon in the religious city of Qom.
In its warning, Israel declared that its reach would extend to anyone connected to the process of choosing a successor.
“After eliminating the tyrant Khamenei, the terrorist regime in Iran is attempting to rebuild itself and appoint a new leader.
The Assembly of Experts, which has rarely met in recent decades, is preparing to gather in Qom.
We want to make it clear that the hand of the State of Israel will pursue every potential successor and anyone involved in appointing that successor,” the Israeli military said.
The statement went further, directly cautioning those planning to attend the leadership selection meeting.
“We warn every person intending to participate in the process of selecting the next leader that they may also become a target. We will not hesitate to strike,” the message said.
The warning from Israel comes amid increasingly aggressive rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who indicated that diplomatic negotiations with Tehran were no longer a priority.
Speaking to journalists aboard the presidential aircraft Air Force One, Trump suggested that the ongoing military campaign could ultimately render negotiations unnecessary if Iran’s political and military leadership collapses.
“At some stage, there may not be anyone left to declare surrender,” Trump remarked while discussing the ongoing war.
The US president also declined to dismiss the possibility of sending American ground forces into Iranian territory, saying that such an option could be considered depending on how the conflict evolves.
“We haven’t seriously discussed deploying troops yet,” Trump said. “But perhaps we will. It could become an option. For now, our forces are heavily damaging their capabilities.”
Trump additionally commented on the role of Kurdish fighters in the region, stating that he does not want Kurdish forces based in Iraq to launch any offensive against Iran, even though they have reportedly expressed willingness to do so.
“I’ve told them not to get involved. The Kurds are ready to move in, but I don’t want that to happen. The conflict is already complicated enough without expanding it further,” he said.
The US president made these remarks only hours after attending a solemn ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in the state of Delaware to honour American service members who were killed during the initial phase of the war.
Despite the loss of American troops, Trump indicated that his stance on continuing military operations had not changed.
“We are clearly winning this war,” he said. “The fighting may continue for some time, but I am extremely proud of the people involved in this effort.”
As the confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran intensifies, the warning from the Israeli military and the uncompromising tone from Washington have heightened fears that the conflict could escalate even further in the coming weeks.
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