Iran Officials Reject President Trump's Demand To Help Choose Next Supreme Leader

Former President Donald Trump publicly said he wants the United States to play an active role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, insisting he "must help pick the next one" and arguing he would have a "big impact" on Iran’s leadership choice.

“Iranian officials have rejected Donald Trump’s push to be involved in the selection of the country’s next leader, insisting that only Iranians can decide the future of their country”

Al Jazeera

He criticized Mojtaba Khamenei as "unacceptable" and "a lightweight."

Al Jazeera

He said he wants "someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran" and compared the desired outcome to a "Venezuela-style" solution, saying he would be "involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela."

Trump also framed his prospective intervention as aimed at installing a leader who can develop Iran "but without nuclear weapons."

Iranian officials and diplomats issued sharp rejections of Trump’s remarks, stressing that Iran’s leadership is an internal matter and mocking outside interference.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that Iran’s fate 'will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by [Jeffrey] Epstein’s gang.'

Chosunbiz

Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh called Trump’s position a 'colonial approach' at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, Gholamreza Ahdavi Raja, likewise rejected the suggestion in Abuja and accused the United States of routinely interfering in Iran’s domestic affairs.

The prospect of U.S. involvement in the succession process prompted questions about coherence within U.S. policy and possible regional consequences.

“The question of who will lead Iran next is drawing growing attention beyond the country’s borders”

Dagens

Axios reporting cited in other outlets notes Trump’s comments clash with repeated U.S. official statements that Washington is not seeking regime change, while analysts warned that urging Washington to influence the selection could "deepen tensions and unsettle regional dynamics."

Separately, Trump’s remarks included encouragement for Kurdish forces considering operations in western Iran, a point that raises further concerns about escalation, even as he declined to confirm whether U.S. air cover had been provided or offered.

Observers highlighted the rhetorical and practical parallels Trump drew between Iran and Venezuela, and the bluntness of his language amplified objections.

Trump praised Delcy Rodríguez in that comparison and claimed U.S. forces had removed Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela - framing a model of leadership change that Iranian officials and diplomats reject as illegitimate.

Daily Nigerian

Iranian responses at forums such as the Raisina Dialogue and in diplomatic briefings stressed sovereignty and ridiculed the notion that an external power should determine Iran's next supreme leader.

Several details remain unsettled or contested in the coverage.

“Exclusive-Trump tells Reuters US should have a role in choosing iran's next leader, encourages kurdish opposition Published by Global Banking & Finance Review® Posted on March 5, 2026 4 min readLast updated: March 6, 2026 Published by Global Banking & Finance Review® Posted on March 5, 2026 4 min readLast updated: March 6, 2026 President Trump told Reuters and Axios on March 5, 2026 that the US should play a role in selecting Iran’s next leader, calling Mojtaba Khamenei “unacceptable,” and expressed support for Kurdish opposition groups to go on the offensive against Tehran”

Global Banking & Finance Review®

Some reporting says Iranian authorities 'have not yet formally responded,' while U.S. officials' statements about regime change and the extent of any contact with Kurdish forces show contradictions across sources.

Global Banking & Finance Review®

Outlets note both explicit U.S. remarks advocating influence and contemporaneous U.S. denials of a regime-change objective, leaving the policy picture and the potential for escalation ambiguous.