Trump Wants to 'Venezuela-ize' Iran, Insists on Involvement in Selecting a New Supreme Leader
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – United States President Donald Trump says he wants to be directly involved in the process of selecting the next Supreme Leader of Iran following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The statement drew wide attention because the selection of Iran’s Supreme Leader is officially an internal matter for the country.
In an interview with Axios, Trump openly opposed the possibility that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would replace his father. He even said the candidate was unfit to lead Iran.
“They’re just wasting time. The son of Khamenei is a weak figure. I have to be involved in this appointment,” Trump said in the interview, as quoted by Al Jazeera, on Friday 6 March 2026.
Trump also stressed that he would not accept a new Iranian leader who would continue Khamenei’s hardline policies. In his view, such leadership could trigger a new conflict with the US in the future.
“The son of Khamenei is not acceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said.
Trump wants the Venezuela model to be repeated in Iran.
In a number of statements, Trump tied his plan to the United States’ experience in leadership change in Venezuela. He said he preferred the model that followed the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January.
After that operation, the presidency of Venezuela was taken by Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president. Trump praised the development and called it a successful example.
“Venezuela is remarkable because we carried out the strike, but the government remained intact. And we have Delcy, who is very good,” Trump said earlier this week.
Rodríguez, although previously part of Maduro’s government, later took several policies more aligned with Washington’s interests. She allowed the US to sell Venezuelan oil and cut oil supplies to Cuba amid ongoing threats of further attacks from the US.
Trump said he wanted to find a similar figure in Iran who would be willing to work with the US.
The big difference between Iran and Venezuela
Although Trump cited the Venezuela example, the Iran situation is far more complex. The military operation that led to Maduro’s arrest was swift and limited. By contrast, Iran is currently involved in a war that is widening against the US and Israel.
Moreover, the position of Iran’s Supreme Leader has particular prerequisites. The Leader must be a Shia cleric with certain religious qualifications.
On the other hand, the Iranian government has itself denied any negotiations with the US amid the ongoing conflict. Trump administration officials had previously said that Washington was raining death and destruction on Iran.
Therefore, it remains unclear how Trump could truly be involved in the process of selecting a new Iranian leader amid the hostilities.
Political analysis
International relations analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute says Trump’s statements show the US president would like Iran to yield politically. “He would not object to a figurehead taking over Iran, as long as that person implements Trump’s policy preferences, as Delcy did,” Parsi said. He also notes that Trump does not want any new Iranian leader who would reject US policy demands. “It seems he will not find such a person within the current Iranian system,” he added.
Trump’s emphasis on the Venezuela model is also seen as different from his earlier calls for ‘freedom’ for the Iranian people. Previously, Trump even urged Iranians to rise against their own government.
Additionally, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of US ground troops being deployed in Iran.
Earlier, he said he had several candidates in mind to replace Khamenei. However, Trump says those people were killed in early US and Israeli strikes.