In the wake of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death, U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States must play a direct role in determining who will succeed him as Iran’s top leader.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Axios on Thursday, Trump dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and widely speculated successor, as a “lightweight” and insisted that he intends to be involved in the selection process.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodríguez] in Venezuela.” The former president was referring to the recent U.S.-backed transfer of power in Venezuela, where acting President Delcy Rodríguez assumed office following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Trump emphasized that any successor who intends to maintain Khamenei’s hardline policies would be unacceptable to the United States. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” he said.
The president’s comments come amid rising instability and uncertainty about Iran’s future leadership, following a series of U.S. and Israeli military strikes targeting key Iranian sites. These operations have intensified hostilities across the Middle East and reportedly resulted in the deaths of several potential successors.
As Iran remains without an official announcement on its new Supreme Leader, Trump’s statements highlight intensifying American involvement and expectations concerning the nation’s political future.
