Poster with the portrait of the Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, displayed on the streets of the Iranian capital, Tehran, on March 2, 2026. PHOTO: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, that he does not want the Iranians to protest “yet”, writes CNN.
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“If you want to go out into the streets and protest, don't do it yet. It's very dangerous outside. There are a lot of bombs being thrown,” the US leader said during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Shortly after the weekend attacks, Trump told Iranians in a video speech that they should take control of their government. The White House leader has since reiterated that call in interviews with reporters, though he has not been specific about a specific successor he would like to replace Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Saturday's bombings.
“We'd like to see someone there to bring back the power to the people, and we'll see what happens to the people,” Trump said Tuesday during the meeting with Merz. The US president added that he had at least one replacement in mind, who is now dead.
In fact, of the candidates that the Washington administration considered for leadership, most are already dead, Trump said, adding that “soon, we won't know anybody.” “Most of the people we were thinking of are dead. (…) And now we have another group (of leaders). It's possible they're dead too,” he said.
The US leader stated that the “worst case scenario” for Iran would be if “someone as bad as the previous leadership takes over.” “It seems to me that someone on the inside would be a better fit,” Trump suggested. “If there is such a person, but we have people like that (consider, no). We have people … more moderate,” concluded the American president.
