The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has said he should play a role in determining Iran’s next leader following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with Axios on Thursday, dismissing the possibility of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump said.
The US president was referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power in Venezuela after US forces captured former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
Trump also stated that he would reject any successor who continues the policies of the late Iranian leader.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he said.
He warned that installing a leader who follows the same path as the former supreme leader could push the United States back into war with Iran “in five years.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric believed to have close ties to Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, has been widely mentioned as a potential successor, although Tehran has yet to officially announce a new leader.
Trump’s comments came a day after the White House indicated that regime change in Iran was not the primary objective of the administration’s ongoing military campaign in the region.
Iran’s Supreme Leader is the country’s highest political and religious authority, wielding extensive influence over the armed forces, judiciary and major state policies.
The uncertainty over Iran’s leadership follows the death of Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during joint US and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military and government facilities in Tehran.
The strikes formed part of a major military campaign amid escalating tensions over Iran’s regional activities and nuclear programme. The attacks triggered a wider conflict across the Middle East, with Iran responding through missile and drone strikes on US and Israeli-linked targets in the region.
Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, had not publicly named a successor before his death, leaving the country’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, responsible for selecting the next supreme leader.
His killing created a power vacuum in Tehran, fueling speculation about who will lead the country as the conflict continues.
