Iran-Israel War: As tensions between Iran and Israel continue to escalate, speculation about who could take control of Iran is growing. US President Donald Trump has provided some hints about potential leadership, with talk emerging of exiled Iranian activist Reza Pahlavi as a possible leader. Trump suggested that someone from within Iran might be the most appropriate candidate once the US-Israel operation concludes.
During a briefing from the Oval Office, President Trump indicated that a figure from within the Iranian regime could be the best option to assume power once the US-Israel campaign has concluded.
Trump remarked that Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of Iran’s last Shah, had not been seriously considered by his administration for the leadership role in Iran.
“Some people like him, and we haven’t been thinking too much about that," Trump said, adding, “It would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate."
While he acknowledged Pahlavi as a "very nice person," Trump underscored that a leader who is already in Iran, and enjoys domestic support, would be a more suitable candidate.
“Somebody that’s there, that’s popular, if there’s such a person," Trump continued.
Reza Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who was overthrown during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Born in 1960, Pahlavi has lived in exile since the revolution and has become a vocal leader of the Iranian opposition. He advocates for secular governance, human rights, and democratic reforms in Iran, and over time, he has positioned himself as a symbol of hope for those in the country who desire an alternative to the clerical leadership in Tehran.
Trump also expressed concern over the potential rise of another hardline leader in Iran, particularly following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli airstrikes.
“The worst-case scenario for Iran would be if somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person. 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," he said.
He also indicated that multiple candidates for leadership had been considered by the White House.
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“Pretty soon, we’re not going to know anybody," he remarked.
He further noted that a moderate leader from within Iran would be the ideal choice, stating, “If there’s such a person, but we have people like that. We have people… more moderate."
Furthermore, President Trump signalled his readiness for a prolonged conflict in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, claiming that the United States' munitions stockpiles were more than sufficient to sustain a lengthy war.
Using the word “forever,” he wrote, “As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons" at the medium and upper medium levels. "The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better," he said. While initially estimating that Operation Epic Fury could last four to five weeks, Trump also expressed readiness for it to continue “far longer than that.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the idea of a prolonged war. Speaking to Fox News, he stated, “You're not going to have an endless war.” He argued that the Iranian regime was at its weakest, declaring, “So this is going to be a quick and decisive action.” Netanyahu further stated that Israel’s actions would create the conditions for the Iranian people to form a “democratically elected government.”