Trump fears Iran’s next leader could be ‘just as bad’
Trump warned Iran’s next leader could be “as bad as” the last, saying he would prefer a moderate, as the conflict enters a fourth day
US President Donald Trump is worried that strikes on Iran could produce a new leader who causes Washington problems just as much as the regime the United States and Israel are trying to topple.
Bloomberg reported that Trump’s comments on Tuesday (March 3) local time signalled uncertainty over plans to end a conflict now in its fourth day, while Iran’s retaliation towards Saudi Arabia heightened fears that the situation could spread across the region.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the “worst case” would be “somebody [who] takes over who’s as bad as the previous person,” adding: “That could happen. We don’t want that to happen.”
“You go through this, and then in five years you realize you put somebody in who was no better.” the US president said, standing alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was visiting Washington.
Trump also stressed that he would like to see a more moderate leader emerge in Iran, but said the person he had in mind had been killed in the strikes, and that a second group of officials “may be dead too”, according to reporting of his remarks.
“So, I guess you have a third wave coming in pretty soon.”
Earlier the same day, Trump posted on Truth Social that war could be fought “forever”, and said the United States had an unlimited supply of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, which Washington wants to prevent Iran from possessing.
Previously, he claimed Iran’s “air defence, air force, navy and leadership” had collapsed.
Trump insisted oil and gas prices would return to stable levels, even though it remained unclear how long military operations would continue.
“We have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before,” he told reporters.
