Washington – (Web Desk) Donald Trump has said the United States wants a role in deciding Iran’s next leader, as the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to escalate across the Middle East.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Trump stated that Washington intends to be involved in determining who will lead Iran following the death of the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in earlier U.S.–Israeli strikes.
“We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future,” Trump said.
He also suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader and a hardliner often considered a possible successor, was unlikely to take the position.
Kurdish forces and regional tensions
Trump also indicated support for an offensive by Kurdish groups against Iranian forces. Reports suggest the U.S. administration has been in contact with Kurdish factions since the beginning of the U.S.–Israeli military campaign.
However, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed urged Washington not to use Kurdish groups as proxies in its confrontation with Iran.
Speaking during events marking the anniversary of the 1991 Kurdish Uprising, she said:
“We are not guns for hire,” warning against involving Kurdish fighters in the conflict.
Escalating military operations
The war has now entered its sixth day, with strikes and missile attacks spreading across the region.
Iran launched attacks targeting areas in Tel Aviv, while explosions and missile alerts were also reported across parts of the Gulf, including Manama and Doha.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces warned residents in parts of Tehran to evacuate amid intensified airstrikes targeting military and government facilities.
According to U.S. officials, the American military has already struck dozens of Iranian naval and missile assets, including ships and underground missile launch sites.
Heavy casualties reported
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, including 175 schoolgirls and staff killed in an attack on a primary school in the southern city of Minab.
Casualties have also been reported in Lebanon, where the health ministry said 77 people have died as the fighting spreads beyond Iran’s borders.
Israel signals next phase of war
Speaking at an air force base, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had achieved significant military success but warned that “much work still lies ahead.”
According to sources familiar with Israel’s strategy, the next phase of the campaign will focus on deep underground missile facilities where Iran stores ballistic weapons.
