Times the U.S. has backed a foreign leader, as Trump hones in on Iran

"Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela. Trump told Politico on Thursday that Cuba's going to fall, too. Asked whether the U.S. was playing a role in the Cuban government's demise, Trump said, Well, what do you think? For 50 years, that's icing on the cake."

"During the 20th century, the American government frequently cited the spread of communism as a reason for intervening abroad, but many scholars have suggested that in these instances, the U.S. was primarily protecting its own financial interests overseas. According to one 2016 study, the U.S. performed at least 81 interventions in foreign elections between 1946 to 2000."

"In 1954, the CIA orchestrated a coup in Guatemala, overthrowing democratically-elected President Jacobo Árbenz. The operation, called PBSuccess, replaced the left-leaning Árbenz with military dictator Carlos Castillo Armas, ostensibly to freeze the spread of communism. U.S.-organized rebels played a crucial role in the plan to oust Arbenz, with the CIA picking Castillo Armas as their leader."

Trump stated that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, is the most probable successor but dismissed him as a lightweight, asserting he must be involved in the appointment process. Trump compared this to his administration's control over Venezuela's leadership and oil resources following Nicolás Maduro's ouster in January. Trump also predicted Cuba's government will collapse, suggesting U.S. involvement in its demise. Historically, the U.S. has conducted numerous foreign interventions, often justified by anti-communism rhetoric but frequently motivated by economic interests. The 1954 CIA-orchestrated coup in Guatemala exemplifies this pattern, replacing democratically-elected President Jacobo Árbenz with military dictator Carlos Castillo Armas, partly to protect American corporate interests.

Read at Axios