Iran’s fate will not be decided by "Epstein’s gang", says official
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Iranian officials said the country’s future will be decided by Iranians, rejecting calls by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to play a role in selecting the next supreme leader.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked Trump’s remarks, saying the fate of Iran would be determined by its people, not by foreign leaders.
“The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by [Jeffrey] Epstein’s gang,” he wrote on X.
His comments came after Trump suggested he wanted involvement in appointing a successor to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier in the war.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also criticized the proposal, arguing that Trump has no authority to influence Iran’s political leadership. He described the idea as a “colonial approach,” questioning how a foreign leader could seek to shape Iran’s political system.
Under Iran’s constitution, the next supreme leader is selected by the Assembly of Experts, an elected council of 88 clerics. Analysts say all potential candidates are expected to remain loyal to the Islamic Republic system, making outside influence unlikely.
The remarks come as the war between Iran and the United States and ‘Israel’ enters its seventh day, with both sides exchanging strikes and escalating rhetoric over the future of the region.
