Tensions in the region escalated sharply as Donald Trump signaled that the United States wants a role in shaping Iran’s future leadership while the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify.

In recent remarks, Trump said Washington should have a say in who leads Iran after the current war, dismissing the possibility that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, should take power. He suggested that a leader emerging from within Iran’s political system might be preferable but warned against the rise of someone “as bad as the previous person.”

The comments came as military operations across Iran intensified. U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out extensive strikes against Iranian military infrastructure, including naval assets, missile systems, and air-defense installations, as part of a campaign that began in late February.

Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli territory and U.S. positions in the region, raising fears that the conflict could expand further across the Middle East.

Despite the escalation, Trump has indicated that the military campaign is progressing faster than expected and could conclude sooner than originally planned. However, analysts warn that determining Iran’s future leadership could prove far more complicated than the military phase of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran’s political establishment has moved ahead with its own leadership transition, with Mojtaba Khamenei recently selected as the country’s new supreme leader by the ruling establishment, a decision widely seen as a direct rejection of outside influence over Iran’s internal politics.