President Donald Trump said he wants Iran's leadership structure removed but dismissed the idea of a ground invasion as unnecessary. In a phone interview with the National Broadcasting Company, he said his objective is to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its leadership over time and indicated he has potential successors in mind, though he declined to name them.

Trump said he is taking steps to ensure those individuals survive the ongoing conflict and emphasized that he does not want Iran to reinstall leadership that could regain strength over the next decade. He maintained that a ground invasion would be 'a waste of time,' arguing that Iran has already lost much of its military capacity.

According to Trump, United States strikes have significantly reduced Iran’s missile and launch capabilities, eliminating a large share of its offensive infrastructure. While he described Iranian leaders as confrontational and determined to fight, he also noted that officials from Tehran have begun signaling interest in negotiations.