Trump has publicly expressed disappointment with Mojtaba Khamenei's selection as Iran's new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing the choice as unacceptable and signaling a preference for greater U.S. influence over the succession process. This stance, voiced in multiple March 2026 interviews amid active U.S.-Israel-Iran tensions, has kept direct high-level contact improbable in the short term despite occasional comments that talks remain possible under acceptable terms. Iran's Assembly of Experts and parliament have consolidated authority under Mojtaba, reducing internal moderate voices and aligning policy toward resistance against external pressure. Traders assess these dynamics against historical patterns of U.S. engagement with Iranian leadership during leadership transitions, where formal meetings have required prior de-escalation signals or verified diplomatic openings.