Trump Demands Role in Selecting Iran's Next Supreme Leader

U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants a role in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader following the reported death of Ali Khamenei, making an unusually direct claim about influencing Iran’s internal leadership transition during the ongoing war. Speaking in an interview, Trump rejected Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei as a potential successor and said Washington preferred a leader who could stabilize the country and reduce hostilities. Trump also compared the situation to U.S. involvement in political change in Venezuela, suggesting Washington should help shape Iran’s future leadership to ensure long-term stability. His remarks came as U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iranian targets intensified, raising questions about whether the conflict’s goals include broader political change in Iran. Under Iran’s constitution, the selection of a new supreme leader is normally handled by the Assembly of Experts, a body of senior clerics responsible for appointing the country’s top authority. Trump’s comments therefore sparked controversy and uncertainty about the extent of U.S. ambitions in the conflict and whether Washington is seeking to influence the outcome of Iran’s leadership transition.

Muskan Zahra

March 6, 2026

3 min read

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US President Donald Trump declared he must be personally involved in selecting Iran's next supreme leader, rejecting the frontrunner candidate and drawing a direct comparison to Washington's intervention in Venezuela. The comments, made in an interview with Axios on the sixth day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, marked an extraordinary public assertion of American influence over Tehran's internal political transition.

Speaking to Axios, Trump said Washington wanted a leader who would bring stability and end hostilities. He dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei — the 56-year-old son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of the conflict — as "a lightweight" and declared him "unacceptable." Trump said the United States wanted "someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

Trump drew a direct parallel to Venezuela, where he said US involvement shaped the country's political transition after former president Nicolás Maduro was captured and removed from power. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed the presidency following Maduro's removal in January. "I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela," Trump told Axios.

Mojtaba Khamenei has emerged as the frontrunner to replace his father, according to multiple reports citing sources within Iranian political and security circles. He has never held elected or public office but is closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was a deeply controversial figure within Iran's own political establishment even before the current conflict began. Opposition channel Iran International reported that the IRGC has been pushing for his appointment.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on the same day that American firepower over Tehran was "about to surge dramatically," signaling an intensification of the military campaign. The Israeli military separately stated that strikes had already destroyed most of Iran's air defenses and missile launchers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to NBC News, rejected any prospect of negotiations. "We are not asking for a ceasefire, and we don't see any reason why we should negotiate," Araghchi said, pointing to two previous rounds of nuclear talks that he said were disrupted by military action. Iran launched multiple waves of retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Israel and US military positions in the region throughout the day.

Under Iran's constitution, an interim governing structure operates following the death of a supreme leader until the Assembly of Experts — the senior clerical body responsible for the selection — formally appoints a successor. As of March 5, no announcement had been made. Iran International reported Thursday that Iranian politicians' statements suggested an announcement could be imminent.

Trump's public claim to a role in that selection process deepened questions about the declared scope of US war objectives. His comments came as the conflict entered its sixth day with no diplomatic pathway in sight and military operations on both sides continuing to escalate.