U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, citing his previous intervention in Venezuela, according to comments he made in an interview with Axios.
Trump made the remarks during an eight-minute phone call with Axios on Thursday, his second conversation with the outlet explaining his war planning.
The comments come as Iran’s political leadership prepares to appoint a successor following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with the country’s clerical establishment yet to formally announce the next leader.
Trump rejects Mojtaba Khamenei as successor
Trump acknowledged in the interview that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, has emerged as the most likely candidate to succeed his father.
“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 told Axios.
He added that he would not accept a successor who would continue the policies of Ali Khamenei.
“Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said.
Trump also said that appointing a leader aligned with the previous regime could lead to renewed conflict.
He told Axios that such an outcome could force the United States back into war with Iran “in five years.”
Leadership decision in Iran expected soon
For several days, Iranian authorities have delayed announcing the new supreme leader.
However, statements by Iranian politicians on Thursday indicated that a decision could be announced soon, according to Axios.
The succession process is handled by Iran’s clerical establishment, which formally selects the supreme leader.
U.S. officials deny regime change objective
Trump’s remarks come as U.S. officials have publicly said that the ongoing military operation against Iran is not aimed at regime change.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials have said the objective of the campaign is to degrade Iran’s missile capabilities, nuclear programme and naval assets.
The operation began on Saturday and represents one of the largest U.S. military campaigns against Iran in recent years.
Asked earlier this week who could replace Khamenei, Trump told reporters at the White House that “most of the people we had in mind are dead.”
Mojtaba Khamenei emerges as leading candidate
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is widely viewed as a leading contender to succeed his father.
He is a hardline cleric with strong links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) but has never held elected public office.
His potential appointment would mark the first hereditary transfer of leadership in the Islamic Republic.
Israeli strike targeted clerical selection body
The succession process has unfolded amid continued military operations in Iran.
According to Axios, Israel bombed a building in Qom on Tuesday that houses the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, an attack aimed at disrupting the selection process.
Trump cites Venezuela precedent
During the Axios interview, Trump compared the situation in Iran to the U.S. intervention in Venezuela earlier this year.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez took control in Venezuela after U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro in January.
In his State of the Union address, Trump said Venezuela had become “our new friend and partner” and stated that the United States had received more than 80 million barrels of oil following the operation.
Trump also praised Rodríguez on Wednesday after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Caracas and Rodríguez announced plans to reform Venezuela’s mining laws.
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