Exclusive: Trump says he must be involved in picking Iran's next leader
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President Trump speaks in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP
President Trump told Axios in an interview Thursday that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader — just as he was in Venezuela.
- Trump revealed this exclusively in an eight-minute phone call — his second conversation with us to explain his war planning.
Why it matters: Trump acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei, is the most likely successor — while making clear he finds that outcome unacceptable.
- For several days, the Iranian regime has postponed the announcement of the new supreme leader. But statements by Iranian politicians on Thursday suggested an announcement could be imminent.
What he's saying: "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.
- He added that he refuses to accept a new Iranian leader who would continue Khamenei's policies, which he said would force the U.S. back to war "in five years."
- "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said.
The big picture: Trump's comments represent an extraordinary claim of American power over Iran's political future, further muddying the objectives of the massive U.S. military campaign he launched on Saturday.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other U.S. officials have denied that the goal of the operation is "regime change," focusing instead on degrading Iran's missile capabilities, nuclear program and Navy.
- Asked Tuesday who could replace Khamenei, Trump told reporters at the White House: "Most of the people we had in mind are dead."
The backdrop: Mojtaba Khamenei — the 56-year-old son of the assassinated supreme leader — has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed his father, though no formal announcement has been made.
- A hardline cleric with deep ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khamenei has never held public office.
- Israel bombed the Iranian building in Qom housing the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran's next supreme leader on Tuesday, seeking to disrupt the vote-counting.
Between the lines: Trump compared the Iran succession to his intervention in Venezuela, where vice president Delcy Rodriguez took over after U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January.
- In his State of the Union address, Trump called Venezuela "our new friend and partner" and said the U.S. had received more than 80 million barrels of oil since the Maduro operation.
- Trump praised Rodriguez on Wednesday — saying "the oil is beginning to flow" — after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Caracas and Rodriguez announced plans to reform the country's mining laws.
