David Lammy says Donald Trump has no right to choose Iran’s next leader

Deputy PM says Ayatollah Khamenei’s successor is for ‘Iranian people to determine’ NewsWorldMiddle EastDavid Lammy says Donald Trump has no right to choose Iran’s next leaderDeputy PM says Ayatollah Khamenei’s successor is for ‘Iranian people to determine’Simon Walters Friday 06 March 2026 12:24 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverDonald Trump offers Iranian military 'total immunity' or 'guaranteed death'Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreDeputy prime minister David Lammy has risked fuelling the Anglo-US rift over Iran by criticising Donald Trump’s demand for a say in its new leader. Mr Lammy said the choice of a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was “for the Iranian people to determine” – not the US president. His comment came after Mr Trump said he believed he should be involved in the decision. Mr Lammy also delivered a riposte to Mr Trump’s jibe that Sir Keir Starmer was “no Churchill,” pointing out that Winston Churchill had disagreed with America’s president, Franklin Roosevelt, during the Second World War on how to deal with the Soviet Union’s leader, Joseph Stalin. Asked if Mr Trump should have a say in the choice of Iran’s next leader, Mr Lammy said: “Clearly, regime change I don’t think has been succeeded in the air anywhere in the world.”open image in galleryDavid Lammy criticised Trump’s demand for a say in Iran’s new leader (PA)Challenged directly on whether the US president should have a say on the ayatollahs replacement, Mr Lammy replied: “If you believe in democracy, and we and the US are democratic countries, we believe it is for the Iranian people to determine who leads their country.”Put to him that he was signalling the person who should decide Iran’s next ruler was “clearly not Donald Trump”, Mr Lammy did not demur, stating: “I have answered the question.”Questioning about the division between Sir Keir and Mr Trump, he said that notwithstanding the “special relationship” between the two allies, they did not always agree. open image in galleryTensions have been brewing between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump (PA)“Are there occasions when a UK prime minister and the US president have a different view about international affairs? “Yes, that was the case in WW2 between Churchill and Roosevelt on how to handle Stalin, that was the case between (1960s Labour PM Harold) Wilson and LBJ (US President Johnson) on Vietnam and that was the case between Margaret Thatcher and (Ronald) Reagan on Grenada. “And yes, we have had a different assessment on whether offensive action (against Iran) at this time should go ahead and therefore we have not played a role in that.” Interviewed by the BBC, Mr Lammy refused to say if Sir Keir had told Mr Trump directly that he believed the war lacked a clear objective, saying: “I know the answer but I cannot share it with you.”He said the British government believed diplomacy had been “taking its course” in the US dispute with Iran before the American attacks. The UK had “not taken part in the offensive action principally because of the legal basis”.More aboutDavid LammyDonald TrumpUSKeir StarmerIranJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next