Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s next supreme leader would not remain in power without approval from Washington, a statement that quickly drew sharp rejection from officials in Iran.

In an interview with ABC News, Trump stated that any new Iranian leader would require a form of U.S. approval to remain in power, warning that without it they were “not going to last long.”

Trump framed his remarks as part of a broader strategy to prevent future conflict between the United States and Iran. He said Washington wanted to ensure that the same crisis would not re-emerge in the coming years.

“I don’t want people to have to go back in five years and have to do the same thing again or worse let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said during the interview.

Iranian officials swiftly rejected the comments. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said earlier Sunday that selecting the country’s next leader was “only the business of the Iranian people,” firmly rejecting any foreign involvement in the process.

Senior cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda also said that the Assembly of Experts had already voted on a successor to Ali Khamenei, though he did not disclose the name of the chosen candidate.

Trump had previously told Axios that he expected to be personally involved in discussions regarding Iran’s future leadership. He also dismissed reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, was a leading contender, calling him “a lightweight.”

The remarks come amid rising regional tensions following a joint military campaign by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets. The operation entered its ninth day on Sunday, with reports indicating that more than 1,200 people have been killed.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation.