Trump Vows U.S. Role In Iran’s Next Leader, Says Khamenei’s Son ‘Unacceptable’
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States should have a role in shaping Iran’s future leadership following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli strike.
Speaking in an interview with Axios, Trump made clear that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader and widely viewed as a potential successor, would not be acceptable to the United States. Trump dismissed the idea of the younger Khamenei taking power and argued that Iran needs leadership capable of bringing stability rather than continuing the same confrontational path.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela,” Trump said. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
Trump warned that if Iran ultimately selects a hardliner like Mojtaba Khamenei, the United States could find itself facing another conflict with the regime within a few years. He said the goal of American involvement is to prevent the cycle of repeated confrontations.
On Friday, Trump escalated his message and demanded what he described as unconditional surrender from the Iranian regime. He said that once Iran agrees to surrender and a new leader is chosen, the United States and its allies would help rebuild the country’s economy.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” Trump said. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT and ACCEPTABLE leader, we and many of our very brave allies will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction.”
Trump added that the long term goal would be to help Iran rebuild and prosper once the conflict is resolved. He ended his message with a slogan echoing his signature political branding.
“Iran will have a great future. MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.
Trump’s remarks came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed that several countries had begun mediation efforts related to the conflict. He said discussions should focus on those he believes underestimated the Iranian people and helped spark the crisis.
Asked about Trump’s comments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s position is aimed at preventing future wars. She said Trump wants American input so the United States does not have to return to military action repeatedly.
“The president stated we want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future so we don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again,” Leavitt said. “Somebody that is going to be great for the people and great for the country.”
In a separate interview with NBC, Trump said he has a few names in mind for potential leaders who could guide Iran in a new direction. He also said the U.S. military was being careful to ensure those individuals were not killed during the strikes.
“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump said. “We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job.”