Trump Insists on Involvement in Picking Khamenei's Successor, Citing Venezuela as an Example

The United States President Donald Trump has insisted he should play a role in selecting Iran’s supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, which followed a coordinated strike by the United States and Israel. Trump said Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Khamenei, who has emerged as the frontrunner, is unacceptable. “I must be involved in the appointment, as I was with Delcy,” the U.S. president told Axios, via AFP and Al Arabiya, on Friday (6/3/2026). He added: “We need someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran. I have to be involved in the appointment, as with Delcy.” The remarks come as he suggested the United States could reopen hostilities within five years if a leader favourable to Washington is not installed in Tehran. The exact mechanism by which Trump would influence Iran’s leadership selection remains unclear. The decision, in theory, lies with the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior Iranian clerics, who would choose the successor to Khamenei. Many of Iran’s senior clerics are known to oppose the United States. Khamenei has led Iran since 1989, or over three decades, and died on Saturday (28 February) local time following coordinated strikes on Tehran and other areas. Reports indicate Khamenei died after locations where he met with officials were bombarded. Iranian authorities confirmed his death the following day, Sunday (1 March), and announced a 40-day mourning period. Khamenei was known for a hardline approach, encompassing domestic repression and confrontations with neighbouring states. Several names surfaced as potential successors to Khamenei, including Mojtaba Khamenei (56), the second son; Alireza Arafi (67), a senior cleric and confidant of Khamenei; Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri (60), a hardline cleric and member of the Assembly of Experts; Hassan Khomeini (50), grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; and Hashem Hosseini Bushehri (60), a senior cleric close to Khamenei. Of these, Mojtaba is viewed as the frontrunner. To date, Iranian authorities have not officially announced a successor to Khamenei.