WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump says the worst-case scenario in Iran would be someone taking over the country who is just as bad as the current regime.
“I guess the worst case would be — we do this, and then somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person… That could happen,” Trump says in response to a question from reporters in the Oval Office during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“We’d like to see somebody in there that’s going to bring it back for the people,” Trump adds.
He warns against Iranians taking to the streets while the bombing is ongoing.
Asked about Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late exiled former Iranian shah, Trump says that he seems like a nice guy but that someone currently living in Iran would probably be a more suitable candidate to take over the country.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
