President Trump says he doesn't just want a say in Iran's future leadership, he insists he has to help pick the next supreme leader. In an interview with Axios on Thursday, Trump said he considers Mojtaba Khamenei, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son and widely seen favorite to succeed him, "unacceptable" and "a lightweight." He argued that if Iran chooses a leader who sticks to the current line, the US could be drawn back into war within five years. "We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said, adding that he must be "involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela." Delcy Rodriguez took power after US forces ousted President Nicolas Maduro in January.
Trump made similar remarks in an interview with Politico, declaring he would have "a big impact" on who leads the country. "We'll work with the people and the regime to make sure that somebody gets there that can nicely build Iran but without nuclear weapons," he said. The comments mark a striking assertion of US influence over Iran's internal succession process and appear to cut against repeated statements by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials that Washington is not seeking "regime change," Axios notes.
In the Politico interview, Trump dismissed concerns about the effect rising gas prices could have on the midterm elections. "People are loving what's happening," he said. "We're taking out a threat to the United States of America, major threat … and doing it like nobody's ever seen before." He said the war had already "decimated" Iran's military.
- Cuba. Trump also addressed Cuba in the interview, predicting the communist government would collapse and suggesting US pressure, especially cutting off Venezuelan oil and money, is driving its current instability, saying "it's because of my intervention" and confirming Washington is in contact with Cuban leaders as they "need help."
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