Administration Trump on whether Americans should fear Iran reprisals in US: ‘I guess’ by Sarah Davis - 03/06/26 10:08 AM ET by Sarah Davis - 03/06/26 10:08 AM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING President Trump responded to rising fears of retaliation from Iran on the U.S. military, as the conflict ramps up in the Middle East.  When asked during a phone call with TIME Magazine’s Eric Cortellessa on Wednesday about whether Americans should be concerned about a potential strike on the homeland, Trump said, “I guess.” “But I think they’re worried about that all the time,” he continued. “We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently shot down a suggestion that the Iranian regime could launch strikes directly on the U.S., telling NBC’s Tom Llamas on Thursday that the country’s military is focused on targeting U.S. bases and other areas in the Middle East.  “They have enough soldiers, they have enough military assets, they have enough military bases and military installations, so we don’t need to go beyond that,” Araghchi said. The country has carried out counterattacks on U.S. assets in the region following the launch of joint strikes from the U.S. and Israel on the country last weekend, which killed top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  An Iranian drone strike killed six U.S. service members in Kuwait, the Pentagon confirmed this week.  Trump has called for regime change in Iran and told TIME that he expects to be involved in replacing Khamenei.  “I’m not going through this to end up with another Khamenei,” the president said. “I want to be involved in the selection. They can select, but we have to make sure it’s somebody reasonable to the United States.” Trump has so far not said who his pick to lead the new regime would be, declining to name a person to NBC News on Thursday evening. However, the president did tell the network his administration was “watching” people on his list to ensure their safety during the escalating conflict.  Motjaba Khamenei is currently the top candidate to take over his father’s role after his death. The younger Khamenei is believed to be alive and in hiding.  Trump-allied Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Iranian crown prince, has also put himself forward as an option for an interim leader while the country prepares a democratic election process. Pahlavi lauded the U.S.’s “full decapitation of the regime” in an interview with Fox News this week.  “We, as Iranians, look at America as our best partner in reconstructing ourselves,” he said. “You know, the president says, ‘MAGA,’ we say, ‘MIGA,’ Make Iran Great Again.” Add as preferred source on Google Tags Abbas Araghchi Ali Khamenei Donald Trump Motjaba Khamenei NBC News regime change Trump administration U.S. military U.S.-Iran strikes Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More Administration News See All International Trump vows ‘no deal’ with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender’ by Laura Kelly 46 minutes ago International  /  46 minutes ago