U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he believes the United States should play a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In an interview with Axios, Trump specifically rejected Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56‑year‑old son of the late Iranian supreme leader, calling him “unacceptable” and a “lightweight” as a potential successor. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” the president said. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
The president added that the U.S. should be involved in the appointment process, drawing a comparison to what he described as American involvement in the leadership transition in Venezuela. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela,” Trump told the news outlet.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline cleric closely tied to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, has been widely viewed by analysts as a frontrunner to succeed his father, though Iran has not yet announced a new supreme leader.
Trump said the U.S. wants a successor who would help bring stability and avoid future conflict, though he did not outline any formal plan for how Washington would participate in Iran’s internal leadership process.
The remarks come days after the supreme leader was killed amid heightened tensions following hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran.