According to reports, Iran is delaying the appointment of a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was killed over the weekend in U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran—due to security concerns. Israel has stated it will target whoever is installed in the role, while President Donald Trump has doubled down on his desire to influence the selection process.
The New York Times reports, citing two unnamed Iranian officials, that while Khamenei’s second-eldest son, 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as the strongest candidate, no one has been named out of fear they will be targeted.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Wednesday that any leader appointed by Iran to succeed Ali Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination,” adding that “it does not matter what his name is or the place where he hides.”
Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of the public eye but maintains close ties with Iran’s administrators and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, as his name has been floated as a potential successor, Trump immediately voiced his rejection.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said on Thursday, adding that it would be “unacceptable” if the Iranian leadership selected Mojtaba Khamenei. “We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”
Trump said he needed to be “involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” referring to Delcy Rodriguez—who became Venezuela’s acting President with Trump’s backing after the U.S. supported her in an opposition-led effort earlier this year.
Regarding Iran, Trump told reporters on Thursday that he wants to remove the existing leadership structure. “We want to go in and clean out everything,” he said. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period. We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job.”
But the U.S. President has so far held off on naming his ideal pick. Speaking to TIME for its cover story, Trump said his objective is to install in Iran a leader “that is rational and sane.”
