In a stunning waste of billions, Donald Trump’s plan to replace Khamenei results in yet another Khamenei
In the hopes of replacing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a Western-leaning Iranian leader, President Donald Trump successfully replaced the late dictator with yet another Khamenei.
Hours into the February 28 strikes against Iran, it was confirmed that the senior Khamenei was killed. Reportedly, Khamenei’s daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and grandson also became casualties of the strike. Regime change is a target for Trump. When he announced his war on Iran, he encouraged Iranians to take up arms. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” he said, adding that Iranian freedom could only be possible with America’s help.
Other Trump allies have not been subtle about the language of regime change either. But now that Khamenei is dead, will his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, fare any better? According to reports, Trump may have merely replaced the senior Khamenei with a younger, anti-U.S. figure. Clerics still chose Mojtaba Khamenei. Trump remarked that the younger son of the late supreme leader is “unacceptable.” Trump added that he wants “someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
Trump criticized over the rash war with Iran
One X user writes sarcastically, “Trump’s regime change is going great! He replaced Khamenei with Khamenei.”
Another remarked, “These morons just made Khamenei younger.”
The same criticism has been laid down by others in the U.S. Congress. Representative Thomas Massie said in a debate that challenged the War Powers Act, “Have we learned nothing from the laundry list of wars and regime changes we sparked across the Middle East?” Killing Khamenei and his family members will not change deeply entrenched, anti-Western sentiment overnight. And almost certainly, it will not bring peace to the region.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Khamenei is the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 56-year-old Shia cleric survived the strike that killed his family, including his wife and son. He was not present at the time.
The younger Khamenei allegedly wields significant influence behind the scenes. Additionally, he has strong links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia. The younger Khamenei served in the Iran-Iraq War as a 17-year-old in the 1980s.
According to the BBC, Mojtaba Khamenei was responsible for political interference in Iran’s elections. In 2005, a reformist candidate named Mehdi Karroubi said that Khamenei interfered with the electoral process through his ties with the IRGC and the Basij militia. By doling out money to religious groups, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardline populist candidate, won the presidential race.
Contrary to claims, as of writing this article, Khamenei has not yet delivered his first speech. Nevertheless, based on Khamenei’s affiliations with the IRGC, the United States would be naive to assume peace and friendly relations would blossom after the war. By killing the senior Khamenei, the Trump administration replaced him with a younger leader that aligns himself with a militia known for its domestic repression and its aggressive anti-Western rhetoric.
The price of ‘America First’
Gas is officially soaring to 14% per week. But according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “This is a short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free flow of energy in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz.”
It’s short-term pain under the assumption that the United States will not lose. But if the war is prolonged, it will be an expensive lesson paid for by American citizens.
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