President Donald Trump stated Thursday evening that he intends to see the Iranian leadership structure “completely” dismantled, revealing that he has already identified potential candidates to serve as a “good leader” for the nation.
While the President ruled out a full-scale ground invasion of Iran “for the time being,” he expressed a firm desire to participate in “selecting Iran’s new leader” following the assassination of Ali Khamenei, with the ultimate goal of “forming a West-friendly government.”
These remarks come amid a sharp escalation in the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and a widening regional conflict, as Iranian retaliatory strikes continue to target Gulf cities.
“We want to clean everything up”
In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump emphasized the need for a rapid transition in Tehran. “We want to go in and clean everything up. We don’t want someone who’s going to take 10 years to rebuild,” Trump said.
Regarding the succession, he added: “We want them to have a good leader. There are some people who I think would do a great job,” though he declined to disclose specific names.
Protecting potential successors
The President also indicated that the US is taking active measures to ensure that the individuals on his shortlist survive the ongoing hostilities. “We are watching them, of course,” Trump noted, suggesting that the US is tracking and potentially shielding preferred candidates amid the chaos of the conflict.
Trump rejects Khamenei’s son
In an exclusive interview with Axios on Thursday, President Trump asserted that he must have a direct hand in choosing Iran’s next Supreme Leader, drawing parallels to his administration’s previous interventions in Venezuela.
President Trump identified Mujtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the current frontrunner for the position but explicitly rejected his candidacy. “They are wasting their time; Khamenei’s son is weak,” Trump stated.
The President insisted on a personal role in the succession process to ensure regional stability. “I must be involved in the appointment, just as I was with Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela,” he added, signaling a “maximum pressure” approach to the power vacuum in Tehran.
