U.S. President Donald Trump [AP Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 9th (local time) that Iran's selection of Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the deceased Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as his successor is a "big mistake."

In a phone conversation with U.S. NBC Broadcasting on the same day, President Trump said, "I think they made a big mistake," regarding Mojtaba's election as Iran's Supreme Leader, adding, "I don't know if it will last."

Earlier, in an interview with the U.S. daily New York Post, President Trump responded to a question about the U.S.'s planned response regarding this matter by saying, "I will not say. I'm not happy with him."

Prior to this, in an interview with ABC Broadcasting the previous day, before the announcement of Mojtaba's succession to the position of Supreme Leader, President Trump had commented, "He (the new Iranian Supreme Leader) won't be around for long unless we approve him."

On the 3rd, President Trump had also made strong remarks, stating, "Anyone who looks like they want to be a leader (in Iran) eventually dies."

These remarks led to speculation that the U.S. military and the Israeli military might be embarking on an operation to oust an Iranian Supreme Leader for two generations.

Furthermore, in a phone interview with U.S. online media Axios on the 5th, President Trump described Mojtaba as a "lightweight," saying, "Khamenei's son is unacceptable."

As President Trump reaffirmed his negative perception even after Mojtaba was formally elected Supreme Leader, mentioning the issue of 'sustainability,' attention is focused on whether the U.S. and Israeli militaries will launch so-called 'decapitation operations' to eliminate even Iran's new Supreme Leader.

In relation to this, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing current and former U.S. officials, reported that President Trump had informed his close aides of his intention to approve a 'decapitation operation' to eliminate Mojtaba if he does not accept U.S. demands, such as abandoning the nuclear development program.

These officials predicted that the Trump administration views Mojtaba as a hardline successor directly chosen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and that it is unlikely for Mojtaba to abandon the pursuit of nuclear weapons or negotiate an end to the conflict under terms favorable to the U.S., the newspaper reported.

The Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba, the second son of the deceased Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader on the previous day.

Meanwhile, President Trump stated on the same day that he is currently not considering the possibility of deploying ground troops to Iran based on the premise of 'securing enriched uranium' within Iran.

Responding to media reports that the U.S. is considering a plan to deploy special forces into Iran to secure enriched uranium, President Trump replied, "We haven't made any decisions on that matter. We haven't even come close to that stage yet."