President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the White House on June 5, 2025. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the next leader of Iran should be a person “from within,” amid speculation that the exiled son of the late shah could be tapped for the role.
There has been speculation that Reza Pahlavi, the heir of the House of Pahlavi that formerly led Iran, could return to the country and lead it after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. airstrikes over the weekend. Pahlavi, former crown prince and the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, recently said he would want to lead Iran in a transition to democracy if the current regime collapses.