President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran’s future supreme leader may struggle to remain in power without the approval of the United States, escalating rhetoric as geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to intensify.
During an interview with ABC News, Trump suggested the selection of Iran’s next top authority could face consequences if it does not align with U.S. interests. The comments come as speculation grows over leadership succession within Iran’s political system and amid ongoing conflict involving the two countries.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” the president told the outlet. “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it.”
Trump framed his position as part of a broader effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, arguing that long-term stability in the region depends on preventing Tehran from restarting nuclear ambitions in the future.
“I don’t want people to have to go back in five years and have to do the same thing again or worse let them have a nuclear weapon.”
When pressed on whether the United States would accept a successor connected to Iran’s current political establishment, the president indicated flexibility if the candidate were viewed as capable of governing responsibly.
“I would, in order to choose a good leader I would, yeah, I would. There are numerous people that could qualify.”
Trump also offered a stark assessment of Iran’s military strength, claiming the country had been preparing a broader regional offensive before recent military actions disrupted those plans.
“They are a paper tiger. They weren’t a paper tiger a week ago, I’ll tell you. And they were going to attack,” he said. “Their plan was to attack the entire Middle East, to take over the entire Middle East.”
The president further suggested that the United States has not ruled out direct operations to secure Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, a key concern among national security officials.
“Everything is on the table. Everything.”
According to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters last week, Iran has accumulated enough enriched uranium that could potentially reach weapons-grade levels within days.
Much of that material is believed to be located at facilities targeted during Operation Midnight Hammer — including sites in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. U.S. officials say these facilities have long been central to Iran’s nuclear development program.
“In theory, if we had physical control of that territory, if we had physical control of those places where it’s located, we could send our people in and dilute it on premise,” the official said.
Related News: Wisconsin Man Gets Life for Killing Parents in Trump Assassination Plot
The ongoing conflict has also drawn attention to American military casualties. Over the weekend, Trump met with the families of six U.S. service members killed during the fighting. Asked whether the ceremony caused him to reconsider the war effort, the president said the families urged him to continue.
“No, not at all,” he said. “The parents would be upset if I did that. The parents said to me, every one of them, please sir, win this for my boy, and in one case a young woman, as you know. Please, win this for my child.”
Reflecting on the meeting, Trump added: “It was a beautiful event. It was a beautiful, beautiful event, where I met the parents. They were devastated but proud.”
The president declined to provide a firm timeline for how long the conflict could continue, despite previously suggesting the operation might last just several weeks.
“I don’t know. I never predict. All I can say is we are ahead of schedule both in terms of lethality and in terms of time,” he said.
Trump also minimized concerns about rising gasoline prices, attributing them to temporary market disruptions caused by the conflict.
“I think it’s fine. It’s a little glitch. We had to take this detour,” he said. “I knew exactly what was going to happen with the detour. But the nice part is we sank 44 of their ships which is their entire navy. We’ve knocked out their entire AirForce. We’ve knocked out all of their communications, telecommunications. Their anti-aircraft systems are gone. They have absolutely no defense. All they have is talk.”
Despite questions raised by some conservative commentators and political allies, Trump insisted the military campaign retains strong support among his political base.
“It’s more popular than ever. It’s a very MAGA thing what we’re doing. A very very MAGA thing,” he said. “Because otherwise we won’t have a country either, we’ll be hit. And MAGA is all about saving America … I’m at the highest point I’ve ever been with MAGA.”
Read More: Trump Warns Iran Will Be “Hit Very Hard” Today, Says New Targets Under Review
