Trump shares ‘worst case’ scenario of someone taking over Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei killed

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Tuesday that he doesn’t have a favorite to replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — saying he’s comfortable with “somebody from within” after America and Israel finish obliterating the country’s naval, nuclear and missile assets.

Trump said he’s confident of the near-term success of his joint war with ally Israel — though he remains concerned about ensuring there’s a less bellicose leader in the long haul to turn Tehran around.

“We’re hitting them very hard, and the big-scale hitting goes now. They no longer have air protection. They no longer have any detection facilities at all left. And so they’re gonna be in for a lot of hurt,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

https://nypost.com/2026/03/03/us-news/trump-says-he-would-like-somebody-from-within-to-take-over-iran-after-ayatollah-killed/