- Donald Trump made a striking admission on Tuesday, revealing that individuals once considered preferred successors to lead Iran following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei have all since died following US strikes in the country.
- His comments come amid escalating regional tensions and concerns that the US could be drawn into another "endless war", a prospect his administration has downplayed.
- "Most of the people we had in mind are dead," he informed reporters, before adding, "Now, we have another group. They may be dead also, based on reports. So I guess you have a third wave coming in. Pretty sure we’re not going to know anybody."
- Speaking at the White House, Trump had just outlined his worst-case scenario for the conflict, describing it as a situation where "somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person".
- He elaborated on his concerns, stating: "That could happen. We don’t want that to happen. It would probably be the worst, you go through this, and then in five years you realise you put somebody in who’s no better."
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