U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States should have a role in determining Iran’s future leadership as the war in the Middle East intensified on Thursday.
Speaking in a phone interview with Reuters, Trump claimed that Washington wanted to be involved in selecting the individual who would lead Iran in the future following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Trump also dismissed the possibility that Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline cleric and son of the late leader, would succeed his father as Iran’s next leader.
He further encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces to launch an offensive against the Iranian government, stating that he would support such action, although he did not confirm whether the United States would provide military assistance.
Meanwhile, fighting between Iran and Israel intensified, with airstrikes and missile attacks reported across several countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.
The Israeli military warned residents in parts of Tehran to evacuate as airstrikes targeted government and military sites in the Iranian capital. Iranian media also reported multiple explosions in different areas of the city.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had sufficient military resources to continue its campaign, adding that Iran’s missile and drone attacks had significantly decreased since the start of the conflict.
The conflict has also begun spreading beyond the immediate region, with Azerbaijan accusing Iran of launching drones into its territory, prompting the closure of its southern airspace.
The war has already caused heavy casualties, with the Iranian Red Crescent Society reporting more than 1,200 deaths in Iran. Economic impacts have also begun to spread globally, with rising oil prices and disruptions to international energy supplies.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had achieved significant military successes so far but warned that further operations were still planned, including strikes on underground missile facilities in Iran.
