U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on May 5 (local time) that he should be involved in the succession plan of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a bombing by U.S.-Israeli forces.

"I should be involved in the appointment just like I was involved with Delcy in Venezuela," Trump said in a phone interview with the U.S. internet media Axios, which was reported on the same day.

He was referring to Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was vice president when Nicolas Maduro was ousted by the U.S. military.

Trump praised interim president Rodriguez for increasing oil production and releasing political prisoners, stating that "Venezuela was truly amazing" and that relations between the U.S. and Venezuela are in excellent condition, effectively recognizing her as the leader of the transitional government.

Regarding the strong possibility that the Iranian regime will appoint Mojtaba, Khamenei's second son, as his successor, Trump pointed out, "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight."

He emphasized, "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

He warned that if Iran appoints a leader who continues Khamenei's hardline stance, the U.S. will have no choice but to go to war with Iran again "within five years."

Earlier, the New York Times (NYT) reported on May 3, citing Iranian officials, that the constitutional body responsible for electing the Supreme Leader was considering electing Mojtaba as his successor.

Mojtaba, 56, is considered a powerful figure behind the scenes, leveraging his father's influence. He is known as a hardliner with significant sway within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the intelligence agencies.

The previous day, concerning Iran's future leadership, Trump stated, "Everyone who seems to want to become a leader eventually meets their death."

On May 3, he added, "Someone from within (Iran) would seem to be more appropriate. If there is someone popular there now. We have more moderate individuals."

Taken together, Trump's remarks are interpreted as a call for a pro-American moderate to be appointed as leader, implying that if a hardliner like Mojtaba comes to power and adheres to the anti-American stance and pursuit of nuclear weapons, a "decapitation strike" could be repeated.