As Iran moves closer to selecting its next Supreme Leader, former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, March 8, 2026, that the new leader “won’t last long” unless he first receives Washington’s blessing. Speaking to ABC News, Trump stated plainly: “He’ll need our approval.” Earlier, he had remarked, “I don’t think anyone will stick around to surrender to Iran.”
“If He Doesn’t Get It, He Won’t Last Long”
“If he doesn’t get it, he won’t last long,” Trump added. “We want to make sure we don’t have to return to this situation every 10 years — when there’s no president like me to handle it.” He emphasized urgency: “I don’t want to be doing the same thing again in five years — or worse, let them acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Open to Former Regime Figures — If They’re “Good Leaders”
When asked whether he’d approve someone with ties to Iran’s previous regime, Trump replied: “Yes, I could — if it’s a good leader. There are many people who could be considered suitable.”
Iran as a Regional Threat — and a “Paper Tiger”
Trump framed the conflict as necessary to halt Tehran’s regional ambitions, claiming Iran had been planning to dominate the entire Middle East — and that the U.S. had stopped it. “It’s a paper tiger,” he said. “It wasn’t a week ago — and they were preparing to attack. Their plan was to strike across the Middle East and take it over.”
Military Options Remain “All on the Table”
Trump did not rule out deploying special operations forces to seize or neutralize Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. “Everything is on the table. Everything,” he said.
A senior U.S. government official told reporters last week that Iran has enriched enough uranium to reach weapons-grade levels within 10 days — or possibly sooner. Much of that material is believed to be stored at facilities bombed during Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’ in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo. The official noted: “Theoretically, if we had physical control of those locations — where the material is held — we could send our people in and dilute it on-site.”
Meeting Families of Fallen Troops
Over the weekend, Trump met with the families of six American service members killed in the conflict. When asked whether the experience changed his thinking about war, he responded: “No, not at all.”
“The parents would be heartbroken if I did,” he said. “Each one told me, ‘Please, sir, win this for my child’ — and in one case, for a young woman. ‘Win this for my child.’”
He described the meeting as deeply emotional: “It was a very moving moment. I met the parents. They were shattered — but also proud.”
On the war’s duration, Trump declined to speculate. “I don’t know. I never make predictions. All I can say is that we’re ahead of schedule — both in effectiveness and in time.”