'Lightweight, Unacceptable': Trump Rejects Khamenei’s Son, Wants Role in Iran Succession

US President Donald Trump says he must be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejecting his son Mojtaba Khamenei as “unacceptable.”

The political aftershocks of the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are spreading far beyond Tehran, with US President Donald Trump openly asserting that Washington should have a role in shaping Iran’s leadership transition.

At the same time, opposition voices from Iran’s exiled political circles are questioning the legitimacy of any successor chosen by the ruling clerical establishment. Meanwhile, lawmakers in the United States are locked in a fierce debate over Trump’s authority to wage war against Iran without congressional approval.

Together, these developments highlight the deepening geopolitical turmoil triggered by the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Trump: US Should Help Decide Iran’s Next Leader

Speaking in an interview with Axios on Thursday, Trump suggested that Washington should play a role in determining who succeeds Khamenei.

The president also dismissed one of the most frequently mentioned candidates for the position — Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei — calling him “unacceptable.”

"Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy," Trump told Axios.

Trump drew a comparison to Venezuela, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who he said had cooperated with him after the United States ousted her political ally, Nicolas Maduro, under pressure.

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," Trump was quoted saying by the news outlet.

It was not immediately clear how Trump could play a role in the Islamic Republic’s process of selecting a new supreme leader, a decision traditionally made by an assembly of senior Shiite Muslim clerics — many of whom have long been strongly opposed to the United States. Trump himself was raised a Presbyterian.

However, his comments appeared to signal a willingness to engage with a figure from within Iran’s existing political system, rather than pursue the overthrow of the government that has remained a sworn adversary of Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted the pro-Western shah.

Shah’s Son Rejects Any Successor as ‘Illegitimate’

The debate over Iran’s future leadership has also intensified among opposition figures abroad.

Reza Pahlavi — the son of Iran’s last monarch who was toppled during the Iranian Revolution — said any successor chosen by the clerical regime would lack legitimacy.

"Victory is near," Pahlavi said on social media after Khamenei’s death during the military campaign launched by the United States and Israel.

"Any attempt to appoint a successor for him is pre-destined to fail. Whomever is introduced... will lack legitimacy and will be considered an accomplice to the bloody record of this regime and its criminal leaders," Pahlavi said.

He dismissed speculation about potential successors within the current system, including Mojtaba Khamenei and former president Hassan Rouhani.

Pahlavi added that it made no difference if the next supreme leader were "Mojtaba or Hassan."

Living in exile near Washington, Pahlavi has long positioned himself as a possible transitional figure should the Islamic Republic collapse. He says his goal would be to oversee a referendum to establish a secular democratic system in Iran.

Call for Security Forces to Defect

Pahlavi also urged members of Iran’s security forces to abandon the current regime and support a political transition.

"Hand over power immediately and without violence," he said.

"Declare your allegiance to the nation's Lion and Sun Revolution, and contribute to Iran's stable and secure transition to a democratically elected national government."

The lion symbol referenced by Pahlavi was historically associated with Iran’s monarchy, while the sun carries deep roots in Iran’s pre-Islamic Zoroastrian traditions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989 with hardline policies marked by domestic repression and confrontation with regional rivals, was killed Saturday in an Israeli strike as Israel and the United States launched a military campaign against Iran.

His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is widely seen as one of the leading contenders to replace him. Ali Khamenei had been only the second supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, succeeding revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Trump pointed to developments in Venezuela as an example of how Washington might influence political transitions abroad. On January 3, US forces carried out an operation that captured the country’s longtime leader Nicolas Maduro, a long-time adversary of Washington.

Instead of backing Venezuela’s traditional opposition — long supported by the United States — Trump has said he was satisfied with the role played by Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president. According to Trump, Rodríguez has cooperated with key US demands, particularly those linked to the country’s oil sector and access for international energy companies.

Trump has also indicated that such cooperation has come under the implicit threat of US pressure if Caracas fails to comply, especially regarding access to Venezuela’s vast natural resources.

(With inputs from AFP)