Iran05 March, 20262 min read
President Donald Trump Insists He Must Help Choose Iran’s Next Leader After Khamenei Assassination
Trump said the United States must be involved in selecting Iran's next supreme leader Trump called Mojtaba Khamenei 'unacceptable' and 'lightweight' to succeed his father
Trump on Iran succession
President Donald Trump told Axios that he believes he must be personally involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader. He said the United States 'must be involved' and likened such a role to his past involvement in Venezuela. Multiple outlets reported the remark as coming in the context of reporting about Iran’s leadership after attacks.
“President Trump told Axios in an exclusive interview that he believes he must be personally involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, likening it to his role in Venezuela.”
Axios summarized the interview as Trump saying he 'believes he must be personally involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader,' and The Raw Story noted he said he must be personally 'involved' after, it says, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated. Local reporting echoed the same point, noting Trump told Axios he wants the United States involved in that decision.
Trump on Khamenei succession
Trump explicitly rejected Mojtaba Khamenei, whom several outlets identified as the likely successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He called Mojtaba Khamenei 'a lightweight' and 'unacceptable', and said he wanted a different figure who would bring 'harmony and peace to Iran'. Trump compared the kind of involvement he seeks to past U.S. influence in Venezuela, invoking Delcy Rodríguez as an example.
Reaction and verification issues
Trump’s comments prompted immediate social-media ridicule and speculation about who he might appoint. The Raw Story reported commenters joked about figures 'from Lee Greenwood to Jared Kushner and Ted Cruz' and criticised the demand as arrogant.
“Trump’s remarks prompted widespread social‑media ridicule and speculation about whom he might pick, with commenters joking about figures from Lee Greenwood to Jared Kushner and Ted Cruz and criticizing the demand as arrogant.”
At the same time, several outlets warned that key claims around the wider conflict — including reports about Khamenei’s fate — remained unverified. HuffPost noted 'the contentious, unverified claim that initial attacks killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei' and other outlets flagged large, unverified casualty figures as the situation unfolded.
Regional casualty claims summary
The comments came amid a broader, rapidly escalating regional conflict that several outlets said had produced large casualty claims and cross-border strikes. WABI‑TV reported officials put the death toll at roughly 1,230 in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon, about a dozen in Israel, and six U.S. troops killed. Pakistan Today noted that Iran’s state‑run Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs reported the same 1,230 figure, which Pakistan Today described as 'a figure not independently verified.'
HuffPost similarly listed 'large, unverified casualty figures (about 1,230 dead in Iran...)'. Other reporting stressed that many details remained unconfirmed.
Kurdish forces debate
The Biden/Trump-era debate over how to respond on the ground intersected with questions about Kurdish forces. thenationalnews reported Trump 'appeared to endorse Kurdish fighters mounting an offensive against Iran, telling Reuters "I'd be all for it,"'.
“Former US president Donald Trump appeared to endorse Kurdish fighters mounting an offensive against Iran, telling Reuters ‘I’d be all for it,’ but declined to say whether the US would provide air cover.”
CNN and other outlets noted related reporting that the CIA was working to arm Iranian Kurdish groups and that the White House denied claims of trying to incite an uprising. The White House denial was quoted by thenationalnews as saying any claim that the president agreed to such a plan was 'completely false.'
