The prince nobody called

Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, declared himself the country's "transitional leader" in an interview with 60 Minutes. He said he envisions an Iran at peace with Israel, that the nuclear programme must be "totally dismantled," and that his mission is to take the country to free elections. He called on Iranian security forces to "join the nation" and warned those who do not will "sink with Khamenei's ship". In Washington and other American cities, diaspora Iranians took to the streets carrying photos of the crown prince to celebrate Khamenei's death.

Trump does not share the enthusiasm. Today, during his meeting with Merz, he was asked whether Pahlavi was an option. "He looks like a very nice person," he said, "but it would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate." He prefers "somebody that's there, that's currently popular, if there is such a person." Then he added something revealing: "Most of the people we had in mind are dead. Now we have another group, they may be dead also. So you have a third wave coming. Pretty soon we're not going to know anybody."

According to the New York Times, the clerics in the Assembly of Experts could name Mojtaba Khamenei, the ayatollah's son, as early as tomorrow. But they have reservations: naming a successor makes him an immediate target. Trump, for his part, said the worst-case scenario would be someone "as bad as the previous person" taking power. Washington's position is contradictory on its own terms: it seeks regime change but has no candidate, wants someone "from within" but is bombing everyone inside, and dismisses the only organised opposition figure based in exile. It is the old trap of American regime change, the same one from Iraq and Libya: destroying is easier than building.