Trump says he wants Iran's leadership structure gone and has preferences for a 'good leader'

EXCLUSIVE Iran Tensions Trump says he wants Iran's leadership structure gone and has preferences for a 'good leader' In a phone call with NBC News, the president also downplayed the possibility of a ground invasion in Iran. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Win McNamee / Getty Images Share Add NBC News to Google March 5, 2026, 10:10 PM EST By Garrett Haake Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump indicated Thursday that he wants to see Iran's leadership structure fully removed and that he has some names in mind for a "good leader." "We want to go in and clean out everything," Trump told NBC News in a phone call. "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 make sure the people on his list make it through the war alive. "We are watching them, yeah," he said. Trump's comments expand on remarks he made in an interview with NBC News on Saturday. Asked who will lead Iran next, Trump replied, “I don’t know, but at some point they’ll be calling me to ask who I’d like,” adding that he was “only being a little sarcastic when I say that.” Trump also responded Thursday to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s telling “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas that his country is ready for a ground invasion by American and Israeli forces. Trump called it a "wasted comment" and suggested an invasion is not something he is thinking about at this time. “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 will continue. Iran faces a power vacuum after Khamenei died last weekend, with rumors swirling that his son Mojtaba Khamenei could be chosen as the new supreme leader. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard C...