Donald Trump considers regime change in Tehran to be "the best possible solution". At the same time, it became known that the US military is preparing for a prolonged military operation. Will the US strike Iran?
US President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on the regime in Tehran in the dispute over Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Now he has openly declared himself in favor of regime change in Tehran. At the US military base Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where Trump was visiting, he said: “This seems like the best thing that could happen.“
Trump did not specify who could succeed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but assured that “there are people.“
“Sometimes you have to instill fear”
The US president also explained that it is difficult to reach an agreement with Iran. "Sometimes you have to instill fear," he said, adding that fear was the only thing that could help in this situation.
The leadership in Tehran should "offer us the deal, which they should have done the first time," Trump said.
Washington and Tehran negotiated last year over Iran's nuclear program, but the talks stalled. Shortly before the next round of talks was scheduled to take place, on June 13, 2025, Israel attacked targets in Iran. Less than a week later, the US joined the operation and bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
“If they offer us a good deal, we won't do it“, the US president added, apparently referring to a possible new attack on Iran.
New talks next week in Geneva
According to information from the news portal “Axios“, a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program will be held in Geneva on Tuesday. A US delegation, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will meet with representatives of Tehran in Switzerland, the information states. Envoys from Oman will also attend the meeting as mediators. In the afternoon, Witkoff and Kushner will participate in trilateral talks with delegations from Ukraine and Russia.
Meanwhile, according to two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the US military is preparing for a more prolonged military operation against Iran in the event that Trump issues an order for an attack. On Friday, the US government announced that it would send another aircraft carrier to the Middle East, the USS Gerald Ford. It is powered by a nuclear reactor and can carry up to 90 combat aircraft and helicopters, including F-18 Super Hornet fighters.
In late January, the USS Abraham Lincoln was moved to the Persian Gulf region along with a flotilla of escort ships to increase pressure on Tehran after the regime's bloody crackdown on mass protests in the Islamic State.
Not only nuclear sites among potential targets
According to the two government officials, the current plans are more complex than those of previous operations. In a longer military operation, state and security-related institutions in Iran could now be affected, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of them told Reuters. The US is counting on Iran to retaliate, which could lead to mutual strikes over a longer period of time.
The White House deputy spokeswoman in Washington, Anna Kelly, responded to a question about preparations for a longer US military operation: “President Trump is considering all options with regard to Iran.“
The Pentagon declined to comment.