President Donald Trump says he wants Iran’s current leadership removed and to have a hand in choosing who comes next. Trump told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday, “We want to go in and clean out everything.”
In a separate interview with Axios, Trump said he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next leader, comparing it to how he says he helped install Venezuela’s current government.
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He also called on members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to stop fighting.
“I’m once again calling on members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and police to lay down their arms,” he said during an appearance at the White House Thursday. “They are only going to be killed. Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country. You have a chance after all these years to take back your country. Except immunity. We will give you immunity, and we will put you on the right side of the history because that is what that is. You will be safe with total immunity or face absolutely guaranteed death.”
Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be “unacceptable” as Iran’s next leader.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” he added.
Trump said he refuses to accept a new Iranian leader who would continue Khamenei’s policies, saying it would force the U.S. back to war “in five years.”
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” Trump said. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
Iranian officials have delayed announcing a successor for days, but political figures in Tehran suggested on Thursday that an announcement could come soon.
War powers resolution shot down
On Capitol Hill, the U.S. House narrowly failed to pass a war powers resolution in a 212-219 vote Thursday that would have limited Trump’s ability to order strikes on Iran without Congressional approval.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said it would be “dangerous” to limit the president’s authority since the military is already in conflict with Iran.
“We are not at war,” Johnson said, despite the conflict being widely regarded as such. He said the operation is limited and the “mission is nearly accomplished.”
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Critics argue that the Constitution says only Congress can decide whether the U.S. should go to war and that Trump overstepped his powers by authorizing Saturday’s strike on Iran that ignited the conflict.
“The framers weren’t fooling around,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. “It’s up to us.”
Two Republicans joined most Democrats in voting to limit Trump’s power, while four Democrats joined Republicans to reject the war powers resolution.
Even if it had passed in the House, it would have been sent back to the Senate — which had already rejected a similar resolution on Wednesday. If the Senate approved the House’s version and it went to the president’s desk to become law, Trump would have vetoed it anyway.
The fighting continues
Meanwhile, Israel announced Friday it launched a “broad wave of strikes” targeting Iranian regime infrastructure in Tehran.
Israel also launched fresh strikes against the Iran-backed militia Hezbolllah in Lebanon.
In a statement released Friday morning, the Israeli Defense Forces said they’re conducting “a broad-scale wave of 26 strikes in the Dahieh area of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.” They said targets include an executive council’s command center and a facility storing UAVs.
Lebanon’s prime minister is now calling on the international community for help, saying “a humanitarian disaster is looming.” He also criticized both Israel and Hezbollah, saying the Lebanese state and people “did not choose this war.”
