Storytimes Newspapers

  President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States—and specifically he himself—must play a direct role in selecting Iran's next supreme leader, amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the country that has already resulted in the death of longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In interviews with outlets including Axios and Reuters on March 5, 2026, Trump dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei (the late supreme leader's son and a leading candidate for succession) as a "lightweight" and "unacceptable," stating: "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodríguez] in Venezuela." Trump emphasized the need for a leader who would bring "harmony and peace" to Iran and be friendly to U.S. interests, suggesting the U.S. would collaborate with Iran in choosing someone to lead the country "into the future" to avoid repeated conflicts. ...