Trump demands say on Iran's next leader
US President Donald Trump said he wants a role in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader after the death of Ali Khamenei, dismissing his son as a “lightweight”.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a Medal of Honour ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Mar 2, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)
BEIRUT: US President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday (Mar 5) that he have a say in picking Iran's next supreme leader, as the war triggered by the US-Israeli campaign that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reverberated throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Earlier, Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entirety of Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, sending residents fleeing in a panic from the district of hundreds of thousands of people.
That warning followed a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on Iran, which again lashed out at Gulf nations.
The war has drawn in global powers, snarling shipping and rattling energy markets. It has been felt as far away as the Sri Lankan coast, where a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, and Azerbaijan, which threatened retaliation after a drone hit an airport.
Trump on Thursday rejected the possibility of Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, replacing his slain father as supreme leader, dismissing the younger man as a "lightweight".
Earlier, Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entirety of Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, sending residents fleeing in a panic from the district of hundreds of thousands of people.
That warning followed a fresh wave of Israeli attacks on Iran, which again lashed out at Gulf nations.
The war has drawn in global powers, snarling shipping and rattling energy markets. It has been felt as far away as the Sri Lankan coast, where a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, and Azerbaijan, which threatened retaliation after a drone hit an airport.
Trump on Thursday rejected the possibility of Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, replacing his slain father as supreme leader, dismissing the younger man as a "lightweight".
"I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy," Trump told Axios in an interview, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez has cooperated with him under threat of violence after the United States ousted her boss, Nicolas Maduro.
"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump was quoted saying, threatening more war in the future if a better alternative was not found.
The remarks suggest a willingness to work with someone from within the Islamic republic rather than toppling the government entirely, despite Trump's repeated exhortations for Iranians to rise up and take back their country.
"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump was quoted saying, threatening more war in the future if a better alternative was not found.
The remarks suggest a willingness to work with someone from within the Islamic republic rather than toppling the government entirely, despite Trump's repeated exhortations for Iranians to rise up and take back their country.
Source: AFP/fs
