Trump says ‘someone from within’ Iranian regime might be best choice to lead once war ends

WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� on Tuesday said that 鈥渟omeone from within鈥� the Iranian regime might be the best choice to take power once the is completed 鈥� but said 鈥渕ost of the people we had in mind are dead.鈥�

The president, who four days ago had emphatically called on Iranians to once the U.S.-Israel bombardment ends, appeared to drift further away from the idea that presents an opportunity to end the that has been in place since the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

Trump said that many Iranian officials his administration had viewed as potential new leaders for the country had been killed in the U.S.-Israeli campaign that killed and many other top officials.

Trump has not publicly identified anyone whom he views as a credible future leader for Iran. And it鈥檚 unclear what, if any, outreach the White House had with Iranian officials since the war started.

鈥淢ost of the people we had in mind are dead,鈥� he said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. 鈥淣ow we have another group, they may be dead also, based on reports. So you have a third wave coming. Pretty soon we鈥檙e not going to know anybody.鈥�

Trump said the exiled crown prince of Iran鈥檚 last shah who is for a return should Iran鈥檚 Shiite theocracy fall, is not someone that his administration has considered in depth to take over leadership in Iran.

鈥淚t would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate,鈥� Trump said, adding that it may make sense for 鈥渟omebody that鈥檚 there, that鈥檚 currently popular, if there is such a person鈥� to emerge from the power vacuum.

Trump’s comments came as he hosted German Chancellor for his first in-person engagement with a foreign leader since the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran.

Trump said he wanted to avoid a 鈥渨orst case鈥� scenario where 鈥渟omebody takes over who鈥檚 as bad as the previous person.鈥�

鈥淭hat could happen. We don鈥檛 want that to happen,鈥� Trump added. 鈥淵ou go through this, and then in five years you realize you put somebody in who was no better.鈥�

The White House is trying to counter criticism

The White House has stepped up its push to counter to launch a war of choice against Iran.

Trump鈥檚 decision to strike last week followed lengthy negotiations by the president鈥檚 envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner with the Iranians 鈥� talks the U.S. increasingly viewed as an effort to stall any progress.

After the most recent round of discussions in Geneva, Switzerland, last week, Witkoff and Kushner told Trump that reaching a nuclear agreement similar to one that former President Barack Obama struck in 2015 was possible, according to a senior administration official.

The official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity, described it as a potential 鈥淥bama-plus deal鈥� and Witkoff and Kushner believed such an agreement would take months, but was possible.

Still, even as they expressed their willingness to pursue diplomacy and 鈥渇ight for every point that we can鈥� if that鈥檚 what Trump wanted, the negotiators stressed to the president that the Iranians were not willing to make a deal that would be satisfactory to the U.S.

Trump snaps at the UK, Spain over lack of support

Meanwhile, Trump sharply criticized Britain and Spain for their reluctance to aid the U.S.-Israeli .

鈥淭his is not Winston Churchill that we鈥檙e dealing with,鈥� Trump fumed about British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer had initially blocked American planes from using British bases for the attacks on Iran that started on Saturday. He later agreed to let the United States use bases in England and on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to strike Iran鈥檚 ballistic missiles and their storage sites, but not to hit other targets.

Trump also said he was going to the day after Foreign Minister Jos茅 Manuel Albares said his country would not allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases in southern Spain in any strikes not covered by the United Nations鈥� charter.

Trump disputes that Israel forced his hand

The president also sought to push back on criticism from some of his staunchest allies over the decision to go to war 鈥� questions that grew louder after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the U.S. had decided to strike because 鈥渨e knew that there was going to be an Israeli action.鈥�

鈥淎nd we knew that if we didn鈥檛 preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,鈥� Rubio said.

But Trump rejected the notion that the White House had been dragged into the conflict by Israel. 鈥淲e were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚f anything, I might have forced Israel鈥檚 hand.鈥�

Rubio on Tuesday echoed Trump’s insistence that the decision to attack Iran was made independent of Israel.

Merz said during his visit with Trump at the Oval Office that Germany is 鈥渓ooking forward to the day after鈥� the Iran war is over.

He said Berlin wants to work with the U.S. on a strategy for when the current Iranian government no longer exists.

鈥淲e are having a high interest in common approach and common work and what we can do,鈥� Merz said. 鈥淎nd this is this is important not just for the Americans,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is extremely important for Europe and extremely important for Israel and their security.鈥�

Merz also noted surging oil prices were damaging the world economy, laying down an argument for finding a quick endgame to the conflict.

The president acknowledged that oil and gas prices were going to rise as the U.S. remains engaged in the strikes 鈥� yet argued it would be fleeting.

鈥淲e have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before,鈥� Trump said.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. jumped 11 cents overnight Tuesday to about $3.11 in the United States, according to the AAA.

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AP writers Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Fatima Hussein and Michelle L. Price in Washington, and Jill Lawless in London contributed reporting.

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