Iranian Ambassador to the UN Rejects US Interference in Ali Khamenei Succession
“The supposed statement by the American president regarding the election of a new Supreme Leader in Iran constitutes a clear violation of the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, as outlined in the United Nations Charter,” said Iranian Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, in a press conference at the organization’s headquarters in New York.
Donald Trump had said on Thursday that he “should be involved” in choosing Ali Khamenei’s successor, which he reiterated on Saturday by stating he would not accept his son Mojtaba Khamenei taking over, in an interview with Axios.
“Iran is a sovereign and independent state. It does not accept and will never allow foreign powers to interfere in its internal affairs,” added Amir Saeid Iravani on Friday, emphasizing that the selection of the successor to Ayatollah Khamenei would be done “in accordance with constitutional procedures and solely by the will of the Iranian people, without foreign interference.”
The Iranian ambassador also reiterated that his country’s response to Israeli-American attacks is “legal, necessary, and proportionate,” stating that Tehran only targets “military objectives of the aggressors.”
“We are investigating accusations regarding strikes on non-military sites. Based on our initial assessment, some of these incidents may be the result of interception or interference by US defense systems that may have diverted intended military targets,” he stated.
