White House eyes Iran’s parliament speaker as potential US-backed leader: Report

WASHINGTON

The Trump administration is quietly weighing Iran’s parliament speaker as a potential partner and even a future leader, Politico reported Monday.

Citing two administration officials, the report said Mohammad ⁠Bagher Ghalibaf is seen by at least some in the White House as a workable partner who could lead Iran and negotiate with the Trump administration in the war’s next phase.

The officials said the White House is not ready to commit to any one person, however.

“He’s a hot option,” one administration official said, according to Politico.

“He’s one of the highest…But we got to test them, and we can’t rush into it."

US President Donald Trump said Monday that there will be a "very serious form of regime change" in Iran. He added that change had already begun since "everybody's been killed" from the previous leadership.

"They're really starting off. There's automatically a regime change, but we're dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid," he said.

According to Politico, one official said that Trump does not want to take out Kharg Island, Iran’s major oil hub, because he hopes the next leader will make a deal similar to the one made by then-Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after President Nicolas Maduro was captured in January.

“It’s all about installing someone like a Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela that we say, ‘We’re going to keep you there. We’re going to not take you out. You’re going to work with us. You’re going to give us a good deal, a first deal on the oil,’” the official was quoted as saying.