US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants Iran’s leadership structure removed but dismissed the idea of a ground invasion as unnecessary.
Speaking in a phone call with NBC News, Trump said his goal is to prevent Iran from rebuilding its leadership over time.
"We want to go in and clean out everything," Trump said. "We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period."
Trump indicated that he has individuals in mind who could potentially lead the country.
“We want them to have a good leader. We have some people who I think would do a good job," he said, declining to name anyone while adding he is taking steps to ensure those individuals survive the ongoing conflict.
"We are watching them, yeah," Trump said.
Trump also responded to remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told NBC News that Iran is prepared for a possible ground invasion by American and Israeli forces.
Trump dismissed the idea, saying, “It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose."
He added that US strikes against Iran will continue at their current pace and intensity.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump said that US strikes significantly damaged Iranian missile capabilities and warned Tehran against threatening the United States or its allies.
“As soon as they set off a missile, within four minutes the launcher gets hit," he said, adding that the strikes eliminated a large portion of Iran’s offensive launch infrastructure.
“Missiles are gone, launchers are gone - about 60% and 64% respectively."
Despite the damage inflicted during the operation, Trump said Iranian leadership remains confrontational.
“They are tough and they want to fight," he stated, though he also indicated that Iranian officials have begun reaching out about negotiations.
“They are calling and saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I say, ‘You are being a little bit late.’ We want to fight now more than they do."