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Trump tells Reuters US will have a role in choosing Iran’s next leader

By Thomson Reuters Mar 5, 2026 | 11:21 AM

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in ​a telephone interview ‌on Thursday that the United States will have a role in choosing ‌Iran’s ​next leader.

Trump ⁠said it was ⁠very early in the process of picking a new leader but that ​Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was ⁠an unlikely ⁠choice.

“We want to ​be involved in the ​process of choosing the person ‌who is going to lead Iran into the future,” Trump ⁠said.

“We don’t have to go back every five years and ⁠do ‌this again and ⁠again … Somebody that’s ​going ‌to be great ​for the ⁠people, great for the country.”

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Costas Pitas; editing by Bhargav ​Acharya)