Trump tells Reuters US will have a role in choosing Iran's next leader

President Donald J. Trump oversees Operation Epic Fury at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FL, March 1, 2026. (White House photo by Daniel Torok)

WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in a telephone interview on Thursday that the United States will have a role in choosing Iran's next leader.

Trump said it was very early in the process of picking a new leader but that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba was an unlikely choice.

"We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future," Trump said.

"We don't have to go back every five years and do this again and again ... Somebody that's going to be great for the people, great for the country."

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Costas Pitas; editing by Bhargav Acharya)