Trump Worries Iran’s Leaders May Be Just ‘as Bad’ After War

Smoke rises from the sites of Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 3.Photographer: Ibrahim Amro/AFP/Getty Images

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By Tyler Kendall, Patrick Sykes, and Christine Burke

March 3, 2026 at 7:09 PM UTC

Updated on

March 3, 2026 at 9:11 PM UTC

President Donald Trump expressed concern that the strikes against Iran could lead to a new leadership that’s equally troubling to Washington as the regime the US and Israel are fighting to topple.

Trump’s comments are likely to spur concerns on the administration’s endgame with the conflict well into its fourth day and retaliatory actions from Iran against Saudi Arabia exacerbating fears of further escalation across the region.