Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria Gholamreza Ahdavi Raja criticised remarks by President Donald Trump. Trump suggested he would take part in determining Iran’s leadership after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Confirmed Dead by Iran’s State TVAyatollah Ali Khamenei died in a major attack on Saturday. United States and Israeli forces carried out strikes that killed the supreme leader and other senior officials.
Trump Signals Desire For Involvement
President Donald Trump responded to the death with public statements. He urged Iranians to seize control of their country. As reported by ALO360, Trump also indicated the United States must play a direct role in selecting the next leader.“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said.
Trump added that he wanted a successor who would serve the people. “We’d like to see somebody in there that’s going to bring it back for the people,” he stated.
Ambassador Delivers Sharp Rebuke
Gholamreza Ahdavi Raja addressed reporters at a press conference in Abuja. He firmly rejected any foreign interference in Iran’s affairs.
“The United States is always interfering in our domestic issues,” the ambassador said. “We are an independent country. We will not let the United States interfere in our domestic affairs.”
He stressed that Iran alone would decide its future. “We are an independent country. We decide ourselves about our leadership, about our future, and all the decisions which we are taking are based on the people in order to preserve the interests of our country,” Raja added.
Tensions Rise Over Succession
The ambassador’s comments came after Trump’s remarks on Truth Social and in an interview with Axios. Trump had dismissed potential successors, including Khamenei’s son Mojtaba.
The criticism highlighted growing diplomatic friction. Iran insisted it would handle its leadership transition without outside pressure.
Ambassador Assures Safety Of Nigerians
Gholamreza Ahdavi Raja also updated the situation for Nigerians in Iran. He confirmed that citizens remained safe in cities such as Tehran and Qom.
“Your citizens in Iran are safe and secure,” he said. “So far, we haven’t received any reports regarding Nigerian casualties or injuries.”
Relations With Nigeria Stay Strong
The envoy noted that ties between Iran and Nigeria continued without disruption. Diplomatic relations between the two countries spanned more than five decades.
“Our relationship goes back more than 55 years,” Raja said. “During these decades, we have had good relations. We are satisfied with the level of the relationship between the two countries.”
