President Donald Trump told Axios that he expects to be involved personally in any selection of Iran's next supreme leader, saying he would not accept Mojtaba Khamenei as a successor. "Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," the president said during the interview.
In his remarks, Trump drew a parallel to Venezuela, saying "I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy (Rodriguez) in Venezuela." The comment framed his view that external influence or approval should play a role in leadership transitions outside the United States.
Separately, Iranian sources told Reuters that Mojtaba Khamenei - identified in those accounts as a mid-ranking cleric with close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - survived airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel that resulted in the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The reporting described Mojtaba as a hardliner and as one of the most influential figures within the Iranian clerical establishment, and as someone viewed as a potential successor to his father.
As of the reporting, Iran had not announced a new supreme leader. The overlapping accounts - the president's public comments and Iranian reports of developments within Iran's leadership circle - present a picture of uncertainty about the country's immediate future leadership arrangements.
Context and immediate facts
- President Trump said he needs to be personally involved in choosing Iran's next leader and rejected Mojtaba Khamenei as acceptable.
- Trump stated he wants a leader "that will bring harmony and peace to Iran" and compared his desired involvement to an appointment in Venezuela.
- Iranian sources told Reuters that Mojtaba Khamenei survived U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; Iran has not announced a successor.
Reporting limits
The information in this article is limited to the direct statements and reports referenced. Where details are not provided in those accounts - including any formal process inside Iran for naming a successor or any official reaction from Iranian authorities to the president's comments - they are not included here.