Amid an ongoing war with Iran, US President Donald Trump says he wants to be “involved in the appointment” of the country’s next supreme leader.
Senior Iranian official Ali Larijani has emphasized that his country is prepared to face a possible US invasion, vowing to capture and kill US troops if they enter the country.
Thursday’s statement comes as US officials, including President Donald Trump, refuse to rule out deploying forces inside Iran.
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Larijani, who serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that such actions would have dire consequences.
“Some US officials have stated that they intend to enter Iranian territory by land with several thousand troops,” Larijani said in a statement.
He then added a clear reference to Iran’s former supreme leaders Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, the latter of whom was killed on Saturday in a joint US-Israeli attack.
“The brave sons of Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei are waiting for you, ready to disgrace those corrupt American officials by killing and capturing thousands of people,” he said.
Larijani, who was a close adviser to the slain supreme leader, is believed to be one of the most powerful figures in Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed Larijani’s comment on Thursday and said Iran does not fear a possible US invasion.
“No, we are waiting for them,” Araghchi told NBC News, adding that a ground offensive would be a “big disaster” for US troops.
Israel and the United States have dropped thousands of bombs on Iran since the latest conflict began on Saturday, and Tehran has responded with missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
Trump has said the war is progressing better than expected, with the United States and Israel controlling the skies over Iran and attacking the country relentlessly.
But Tehran has projected defiance and vowed to continue fighting to avenge Khamenei and repel attacks from the United States and Israel.
“We will not negotiate with the United States,” Larijani said earlier this week.
Following Khamenei’s death, there have been few signs that Iran’s new leadership is willing to work with Washington.
However, Trump has expressed his desire for Iran’s government to follow the model established by its January 3 attack on Venezuela, which involved replace the head of state with a figure friendly to the United States.
In Venezuela, US forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and transported him to the United States to stand trial. A few days later, Maduro was succeeded by his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, with the backing of the United States.
Since then, Rodríguez has been cooperating with the United States, including allowing the Trump administration to sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil. Meanwhile, the rest of Venezuela’s government has remained largely intact.
“I think what we did in Venezuela is the perfect, perfect scenario,” Trump told the New York Times on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Trump added that he would like to “be involved in the appointment” of Khamenei’s successor, as he had been “with Delcy in Venezuela.”
Trump also expressed opposition to Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain supreme leader, who is believed to be a favorite to succeed his father as head of state.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” the US president told Axios.
The next supreme leaders will be chosen by a body of religious scholars known as the Council of Experts.
