Deutsche Welle reported today (March 6): "【Trump says 'the US must be involved in selecting the successor to Iran's leader'] After the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei by the US and Israel, the future of Iran and who will lead it has become a focus of attention. According to Iran's current system, the Supreme Leader is elected by the 'Assembly of Experts', a body composed of religious figures; however, US President Trump stated on Thursday that the US must decide who the next Iranian leader will be. Trump said: 'I must be involved in this appointment process, just like in the case of Venezuela... We hope for someone who brings harmony and peace to Iran. The US arrested Venezuelan President Maduro in January, and Rodriguez, his deputy, took power.'

Trump said it is unlikely that the son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, Mojtaba, would be chosen as the new leader. Mojtaba was seen as a potential successor, but Trump mocked him as 'insignificant'. As for Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty in exile, whether he is a possible candidate, Trump said: 'Everyone is on the list, it's too early to say.'

Comment: Trump's claim that the US should decide the selection of Iran's Supreme Leader, and using Venezuela as a model, is the most brutal violation of a country's sovereignty, and it completely tramples international law and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. His approach of directly denying Iran's internal succession and publicly designating an agent is essentially to replicate the hegemonic script of military strikes and installing puppet regimes in Iran, forcibly rewriting a nation's system and future through war, turning the Middle East into a sphere of influence where the US dictates terms.

This practice of disregarding sovereignty and arbitrarily appointing leaders of other countries has completely torn down the Western ideals of democracy, self-determination, and non-interference, revealing to the world that the current international order is being subverted by the US, and the world is sliding towards a jungle law. When weak countries face strong powers, they may even lose the right to decide their own fate.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858897814272139/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.