Analysts say the US president will not find Iranian Delcy Rodriguez within the existing Islamic Republic system.
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Published March 5, 2026
President Donald Trump said he wants to be involved in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, reiterating his goal of creating a new U.S.-friendly leader within Iran’s ruling regime.
The US president on Thursday expressed opposition to the appointment of Mojtaba, the son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to replace his slain father.
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Trump told Axios: “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is disrespectful. I have to be involved in the appointment.”
He added that he would prefer a leader like Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who succeeded President Nicolás Maduro, who was abducted by U.S. forces in January.
Despite previously serving as Maduro’s vice president, Rodriguez faced the threat of further U.S. attacks and allowed the U.S. to sell Venezuelan oil and cut off oil supplies to Cuba.
President Trump has repeatedly said he wants to find Rodriguez, an Iranian.
“Venezuela was really great because we attacked and kept the government completely intact. And we have a very good Delcy,” he told reporters earlier this week.
But there are big differences between Iran and Venezuela. Although President Maduro’s abduction was a quick and limited military operation, the Iranian government is now engaged in a growing war with the United States and Israel.
Iran’s supreme leader must be a qualified religious scholar.
Iranian officials have denied any talks with the US, and Trump’s aides say the US is raining “death and destruction” on Iran.
It’s unclear how Trump could be involved in the selection process amid hostilities.
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, said President Trump wants Iran to surrender.
“I have no problem with a symbolic figure taking over Iran, as long as this person pursues Trump’s policy priorities, just like Delsey,” Parsi told Al Jazeera.
He added that President Trump does not want Khamenei’s successor to be “someone who is not willing to comply with President Trump’s policy demands.”
“I don’t think we’ll find that person within the existing Iranian system,” Parsi said.
President Trump’s emphasis on the Venezuelan model in recent days appears to contradict his earlier calls for “freedom” in Iran, including urging the people to uprising against the government.
The US president has not ruled out deploying US troops on the ground inside Iran.
President Trump had previously said he had someone in mind to succeed Khamenei, but they were killed in the opening U.S. and Israeli strikes.
However, key figures seen as potential successors to the 86-year-old Khamenei are still alive, including Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of 1979 Islamic Revolution leader Ruhollah Khomeini, and prominent cleric Alireza Alafi.
Khamenei’s successor will be chosen by an 88-member selection council known as the Council of Experts.
Earlier this week, Israel targeted the Assembly of Experts building in the holy city of Qom.
Some Israeli and US media reports said a council to elect a supreme leader was meeting during the attack, but Iran denied this claim, saying the building was empty and no date had been set for electing a new leader.
