Trump Says Iran Needs 'More Moderate' Leadership, Says He Wasn't Pushed Into War By Israel

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 22:49 IST

Trump indicated that the White House had considered multiple candidates for leadership but noted that some are now deceased.

US President Donald Trump voiced concern over the risk of another hardline leader rising in Iran after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, stressing the need for a more moderate figure to guide the country.

“The worst-case scenario for Iran would be if somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person," Trump said, adding, “That could happen. We don’t want that to happen. We’d like to see somebody in there, bring it back to the people, and we’ll see what happens."

Trump indicated that the White House had considered multiple candidates for leadership but noted that some are now deceased.

“Pretty soon, we’re not going to know anybody," he added. He suggested that a leader from within Iran might be more suitable, saying, “If there’s such a person, but we have people like that. We have people … more moderate."

Addressing speculation over Israel’s role in prompting the US strikes, Trump rejected the notion that Israel had forced action.

“They were going to attack if we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first," he said. “I felt strongly about that."

He added, “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand, but Israel was ready and we were ready and we’ve had a very, very powerful impact because virtually everything they have has been knocked out. Now their missile count is going way down."

News world Trump Says Iran Needs 'More Moderate' Leadership, Says He Wasn't Pushed Into War By Israel

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