TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Donald Trump told U.S. outlet Axios on Thursday that he should have a role in picking the next leader of Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in strikes early on Saturday.
But he ruled out Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is seen as a favorite contender among the remaining members of the regime.
"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump said.
"Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy," he said in reference to Delcy Rodriguez who took over as interim president of Venezuela after U.S. forces kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump also told Reuters: "We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future."
"We don't have to go back every five years and do this again and again."
According to the institutions of the Iranian regime, Khamenei's successor must be picked by a group of senior Shiite clerics. It's not clear how Trump planned to influence that decision, but his comments have been seen as a sign he would be willing to work with a regime insider.
However, Israel has said that it would assassinate any successor chosen by the regime.
Read: Possible Scenarios for Iran Once War with US, Israel Ends
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