Some holding pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, mourners reach out to coffins during a funeral for people killed during the ongoing U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Isfahan, Iran, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Payman Shahsanaei/ISNA via AP)

Trump tells Axios he must be involved in selection of Iran’s next leader

by · CityNews

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has told Axios he must be involved in selection of Iran’s next leader and called Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son an “unacceptable” potential pick.

“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” Trump said of Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the supreme leader killed on the first day of the war. Trump added, “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

The president also derided Khamenei’s son, who is believed to be under consideration to serve as the next supreme leader, as “a light weight.”

“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” said Trump, referring to the acting president in the South American country.

Delcy Rodriguez took power in January after Trump ordered a U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and whisk him to the U.S. to face federal drug conspiracy charges.

More to come