Trump says he wants Iran’s leadership removed, has his preferences

US President Donald Trump said on March 5 that he wants to see the leadership structure of Iran fully removed and indicated that he already has several potential figures in mind who could lead the country in the future.

Speaking in a phone call with NBC News, Trump said: “We want to go in and clean out everything. We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period.”

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he added, declining to name anyone.

Trump also said he is taking steps to ensure that individuals he views as possible future leaders survive the ongoing conflict.

"We are watching them, yeah," he said.

The remarks came after Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas that Iran is prepared for a potential ground invasion by American and Israeli forces.

Responding to the comments, Trump dismissed the suggestion and said a ground invasion is not currently under consideration.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” he said, adding that the pace and intensity of strikes against Iranian targets would continue.

By Sabina Mammadli