'Not Khamenei's son': Donald Trump says US wants to be involved in choosing Iran's next leader

Trump said, 'We want to be involved in the process of ​choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future, so we don't have to go back every five years and do this again and again.'

US President Donald ⁠Trump on Thursday said that United States must be involved in choosing Iran's next leader, reiterating his idea of giving rise to a new leadership that is friendly to the US.

Reuters quoted Trump saying, "We want to be involved in the process of ​choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future, so we don't have to go back every five years and do this again and again. We want somebody that's going to be great for the people, great for the country."

According to the report, in an exclusive telephonic interview with the publication he said that he thinks the next leader of Iran is unlikely to be the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, who has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed his slain father.

However, report added that Trump did not elaborate after saying that Khamenei's son Mojtaba, was an unlikely choice.

Asked ​whether exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last shah, was a possibility, Trump said, "I think everybody's in the mix. It's very early."

Trump also encouraged ​Iranian Kurdish forces to go on the offensive, "I think it's wonderful that they want ⁠to do that, I'd be all for it," the president said, according to Reuters.

Earlier Axios ‌also reported that Trump wants to be ​personally involved ⁠in selecting Iran's next leader.

"Khamenei's son is ⁠unacceptable ‌to me. We want ‌someone that will ⁠bring harmony and peace ‌to ‌Iran," Axios quoted ‌Trump ‌as saying in an interview.

"I have to ⁠be ⁠involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela," Trump ​said.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei was born in 1969 in Mashhad, one of Iran’s holiest cities, as the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei. Like many clerical families in Iran’s religious establishment, he was raised with a strong focus on Islamic scholarship and entered seminary studies in Qom, the heart of Shiite theology.

Despite his lineage, Mojtaba’s name was rarely seen on the front pages. He never held prominent public office or the highest clerical titles. Instead, he carved out influence more quietly, working behind the scenes in the corridors of power in Tehran.