{"id":6744,"date":"2026-03-09T13:37:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=6744"},"modified":"2026-03-09T13:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:37:53","slug":"trump-vows-to-intensify-strikes-on-iran-dismisses-new-supreme-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/trump-vows-to-intensify-strikes-on-iran-dismisses-new-supreme-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Vows to Intensify Strikes on Iran, Dismisses New Supreme Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3655.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3655.jpeg 1320w, https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3655-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1977\/2026\/03\/IMG_3655-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As the <strong>US-Israel-Iran war<\/strong> grinds into its second week on March 9, 2026, President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric and military posture, pledging to ramp up attacks on Iranian targets while openly rejecting the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. In a series of interviews, social media posts, and public statements over the weekend, Trump declared that the conflict would only end with Iran\u2019s \u201cunconditional surrender,\u201d followed by U.S. involvement in selecting an \u201cacceptable\u201d leader\u2014one he made clear does not include Mojtaba Khamenei, the hardline son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The president\u2019s comments come amid intensified U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that have pummeled Tehran, oil facilities, IRGC bases, and missile sites, while Iran continues retaliatory barrages against Israel, U.S. allies in the Gulf, and regional infrastructure. The war, dubbed <strong>Operation Epic Fury<\/strong> by the Pentagon, has already claimed thousands of lives, displaced hundreds of thousands, and sent global oil prices soaring past $100 per barrel due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trump\u2019s Escalation: \u201cVery Hard\u201d Strikes and No Compromise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump\u2019s vow to intensify operations surfaced prominently on March 7\u20138, as he signaled that attacks would \u201chit very hard\u201d over the weekend and into the coming days. In Truth Social posts and interviews with outlets like Reuters, Axios, and Politico, he described upcoming strikes as targeting areas and groups previously off-limits, warning of \u201ccomplete destruction and certain death\u201d for Iran\u2019s regime unless it capitulates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cToday Iran will be hit very hard!\u201d Trump posted early Saturday, March 8. \u201cUnder serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran\u2019s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He reiterated demands for \u201cUNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,\u201d stating there would be \u201cno deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,\u201d after which the U.S. and allies would help rebuild Iran \u201cbigger, better, and stronger\u201d under new leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump\u2019s White House press team, including spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, emphasized that only the president would determine when surrender has occurred. Pentagon officials have indicated expanded targeting, including deeper strikes on government infrastructure in Tehran and remaining missile capabilities, as the U.S. military works through its target list \u201csubstantially ahead of schedule\u201d from initial projections of 4\u20135 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rhetoric echoes Trump\u2019s earlier justifications for the war: preventing an imminent nuclear threat, responding to decades of Iranian aggression (including proxy attacks and support for terrorism), and protecting U.S. troops and allies. He has claimed the strikes were necessary to avert a larger nuclear conflict, asserting that without action, Iran would have struck first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dismissing Mojtaba Khamenei: \u201cUnacceptable\u201d and \u201cNot Going to Last Long\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader\u2014confirmed by Iran\u2019s Assembly of Experts on March 8\u2014drew immediate scorn from Trump. In interviews and statements, he repeatedly called the 56-year-old cleric \u201cunacceptable,\u201d a \u201clightweight,\u201d and insisted the U.S. must approve Iran\u2019s next leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Trump told Axios and Reuters he should have a \u201crole\u201d in choosing Iran\u2019s successor, comparing it to U.S. influence in Venezuela after the ouster of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cKhamenei\u2019s son is unacceptable to me,\u201d he said. \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t get approval from us, he\u2019s not going to last long.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In an ABC News interview, he added: \u201cWe want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran\u2026 He\u2019s going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn\u2019t, he\u2019s not going to last long.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump framed this as preventing future U.S. administrations from facing the same threats \u201cevery 10 years.\u201d Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, rejected the interference, insisting leadership is an internal matter for Iranians. State media portrayed Mojtaba\u2019s selection as a symbol of resilience and defiance against \u201carrogant powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mounting U.S. Losses and Domestic Backlash<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump\u2019s tough stance comes as U.S. casualties rise. The Pentagon confirmed the death of an eighth American service member from injuries sustained in earlier Iranian attacks, including drone strikes on bases in Kuwait and elsewhere. Trump attended dignified transfer ceremonies for fallen troops, underscoring the human cost while vowing continued resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics, including former officials like Jake Sullivan, have questioned whether the war was \u201cfully thought through,\u201d pointing to shifting rationales (from nuclear prevention to regime pressure to leadership selection) and risks of prolonged engagement. Homeland security alerts have heightened over potential Iranian-backed retaliation on U.S. soil, including lone-wolf attacks or cyberattacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Domestically, the conflict has divided opinion: supporters praise Trump\u2019s \u201cpeace through strength,\u201d while opponents warn of another open-ended Middle East quagmire echoing Iraq or Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Regional and Global Ramifications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran\u2019s new leadership under Mojtaba Khamenei\u2014known for hardline views and IRGC ties\u2014signals no immediate de-escalation. Tehran has pledged allegiance to the new Supreme Leader while launching fresh missile strikes, including barrages triggering sirens in Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The war\u2019s expansion has drawn in Gulf states, Lebanon (via Hezbollah), and raised concerns about Russian intelligence support to Iran. Oil markets remain volatile, with fears of broader economic fallout if disruptions persist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As strikes intensify and Trump doubles down on demands for surrender and U.S.-approved leadership, the path to resolution appears distant. Whether military pressure forces collapse or prolongs a bloody stalemate remains the central question in this rapidly evolving crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By: Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com<br>(Compiled from official statements, interviews, Pentagon updates, and verified international reporting as of March 9, 2026. The conflict is fluid; developments can change rapidly.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the US-Israel-Iran war grinds into its second week on March 9, 2026, President Donald&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[830,643,1,784,806],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-more-articles","category-news","category-northamerica","category-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6744"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6746,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744\/revisions\/6746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}