Trump: Invasion would be a ‘waste,’ but ‘we want to go in and clean out’ leadership

US President Donald Trump tells NBC News that a ground invasion of Iran would be “a waste” but indicates the US will have a say over who leads the country next.

“It’s a waste of time,” he says of Iranian claims that it is planning for a US-Israeli invasion. “They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose.”

But he is also quoted telling the network that “we want to go in and clean out everything,” as the country chooses a new leader.

“We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” he’s quoted saying in a phone call.

“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job,” he adds.

Trump does not name who he has in mind, according to the network, but says there are efforts to ensure they are not killed in the war.

“We are watching them, yeah,” he says.