Esra Tekin
06 March 2026•Update: 06 March 2026
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he wants Iran’s leadership structure removed and claimed he has several candidates in mind who could serve as a “good leader” for the country.
“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump told NBC News in a phone call.
“We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” he said.
Trump said he has several people in mind who could lead Iran but declined to name them. He added that he is taking steps to ensure those on his list make it through the war alive.
“We are watching them, yeah,” he said.
Trump’s remarks expanded on comments he made during a Saturday interview with NBC News. When asked who might lead Iran in the future, Trump said he was unsure but joked that Iranian officials might eventually contact him to ask for his preference, noting he was “only being a little sarcastic.”
He also addressed statements made Thursday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas that Iran is prepared for a possible ground invasion by US and Israeli forces.
Calling Araghchi’s comment “wasted,” Trump said he is not considering an invasion.
“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” he said, vowing that the pace and intensity of strikes will continue.
