Trump says US wants complete change of power in Iran: Washington already has candidates

US President Donald Trump has said that the United States is seeking a complete change of leadership in Iran and already has several potential candidates for the role of the country's new leader.

He said this in a commentary to NBC News.

According to the American president, Washington is not interested in a long-term restoration of the current system of government in Iran.

"We want to go in and clean out everything. We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period," Trump emphasized.

He added that the United States would like to see a new leader in Iran who, in Washington's view, could effectively lead the country.

"We have some people who I think would do a good job," Trump said, but declined to name specific names.

The president also noted that the United States is closely monitoring these people and trying to do everything possible to help them survive the war.

"We are watching them, yeah," the head of the White House said.

At the same time, answering a question about who might lead Iran in the future, Trump noted that the final decision has not yet been made.

"I don't know, but at some point they’ll be calling me to ask who I’d like," he replied, adding that he was"only being a little sarcastic when I say that."

The US president also commented on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi statement about the country's readiness for a possible ground invasion by US and Israeli troops. According to Trump, he is not currently considering such a scenario.

"It's a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose," he emphasized, adding that the pace and intensity of the strikes are continuing.

Recall that Trump criticized NATO allies over the operation against Iran.