Trump Declares He Must Hand-Pick Iran’s Next Leader After Assassinating Country’s Supreme Leader
United States President Donald Trump has declared that he expects to be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28. The demand effectively claims a US veto over who runs the sovereign nation of 92 million people, with Trump dismissing the frontrunner successor—the slain leader’s own son—as a “lightweight” and vowing to reject anyone who continues the policies of the old guard.
Speaking in a series of interviews this week, the president made it clear that Washington’s military campaign is now explicitly linked to engineering Tehran’s political future. The comments mark the most direct American intervention in Iranian leadership since the CIA-engineered coup of 1953, raising fears of decades of further entanglement in the Middle East.
‘Khamenei’s Son Is A Lightweight’: Trump Vetoes Mojtaba Khamenei
President Trump has drawn a firm red line against the candidate many insiders view as the natural heir to the supreme leader’s throne. In an interview with Axios, Trump did not mince words about Mojtaba Khamenei, the influential cleric and son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump told Axios. “I have to be involved in the appointment.”
The US president framed his demand as essential to long-term stability, warning that allowing the wrong person to take power would simply delay the next conflict. He reiterated these sentiments to Reuters, insisting that Iran would be “wasting its time” trying to pick a successor without American oversight.
“We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future,” Trump said. “We don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again. Somebody that’s going to be great for the people, great for the country.”
Trump explicitly rejected any candidate who would continue the policies of the previous administration.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran”, he said.
The president reportedly compared the situation to Venezuela, where opposition leader Delcy Rodriguez has emerged as a key figure following the capture of Nicolas Maduro by US Delta Force operatives. However, analysts point out that Iran’s complex theocratic structure, blending clerical rule with the power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), bears little resemblance to Caracas.
‘Lay Down Your Arms Or Face Guaranteed Death’: Trump Courts Defectors
As the diplomatic battle rages, the military campaign continues to intensify. On March 5, Trump took to the White House to issue a stark ultimatum directly to the Iranian military and security forces. He urged members of the IRGC, the military, and the police to abandon the government, promising safety for defectors but threatening total annihilation for those who resist.
“I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military, and the police to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country.”
The president dangled the carrot of personal safety while brandishing a very large stick.
“We’ll give you immunity,” Trump stated, adding that defectors would find themselves on “the right side of history.” He then delivered a chilling warning: “You’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death. And I don’t want to see that.”
The appeal was not limited to those holding rifles. Trump also issued a global call for Iranian diplomats stationed at embassies around the world to turn their backs on Tehran.
“We urge Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and help us shape a new and better Iran with great potential,” he said.
The aggressive posture has been matched by claims of overwhelming military success. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran that it had badly miscalculated if it believed America would lose interest.
“Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation,” Hegseth told reporters at US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
The Pentagon has claimed that the campaign has destroyed 60 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and sunk more than 30 Iranian ships. Meanwhile, Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir stated on March 5 that Israeli forces were moving into the next phase of attacks, aiming to “further dismantle the regime.”
As the interim leadership council in Tehran—comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Guardian Council member Ayatollah Alireza Arafi—holds its fourth meeting to navigate the constitutional crisis, the shadow of foreign intervention looms large.
Flipcash is Your Trusted PayPal & Crypto Exchange Partner in Zimbabwe — WhatsApp +263 77 163 9263
The post Trump Declares He Must Be Involved In Selecting Iran’s Next Leader After Assassinating Country’s Supreme Leader appeared first on iHarare News.
