Trump Rejects Khamenei’s Son, Says He Must Be Part Of Choosing Iran’s New Leader

US President Donald Trump has demanded that he should have a say in who becomes Iran’s next supreme leader, after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the interview with Axios, Trump compared the situation in Iran to his involvement in leadership changes in Venezuela, saying he must be involved in the appointment process.

Trump said he does not accept the idea of Khamenei’s son taking over, calling him unacceptable and a “lightweight.”

“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy,” Trump said on Thursday.

Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela, has been cooperating with Trump under threat of violence after the U.S ousted her boss, Nicolas Maduro.

Trump warned that if a new Iran leader follows the same hardline policies as the late Khamenei, it could lead the US back into conflict within a few years.

“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” the president was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

It isn’t clear how Trump could influence Iran’s internal decision, since the next supreme leader is normally chosen by a group of senior clerics under Iran’s constitution. Those clerics have historically opposed US influence.

The situation has unfolded amid ongoing fighting in Iran after Khamenei was killed in a joint US‑Israeli military strike.

Officials in Iran have delayed naming a successor as tensions remain high and questions grow about the future direction of the country’s leadership.

KanyiDaily recalls that Israeli and US forces carried out airstrikes on Tuesday that hit a building linked to the body responsible for choosing Iran’s next supreme leader.