Washington, Feb 14 (.) US President Donald Trump said that regime change in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen,” marking one of his clearest endorsements for replacing the country’s clerical leadership.
Trump made the comments shortly after visiting troops at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and after he confirmed earlier in the day that he’s deploying a second aircraft carrier group to the Mideast.
Trump warned that failing to secure a nuclear deal with Iran could lead to a “very traumatic” outcome, referencing past military strikes and potential consequences.
Trump said,“With Iran, we have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic. They should have made a deal the first time, and they got Midnight Hammer instead.”
He criticised decades of diplomacy, stating,“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives… Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time.”
As he confirmed, sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, he said, “in case we don’t make a deal” with the Islamic Republic.
When asked who should take over Iran, he said “there are people,” but gave no specifics.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not yet responded to Trump’s remarks.
Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, no joint press briefing was held; the only record of the encounter was a handshake in the Oval Office, distributed by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social emphasised his desire for continued negotiations, in contrast to Netanyahu’s opposition to a nuclear deal and his reported interest in discussing military options against Iran.
Trump also touted his foreign policy record, claiming he ended “eight wars in 10 months,” and labeled the Russia-Ukraine conflict “the toughest of all.”
During a visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he criticized the Biden administration’s decision to rename the base. Originally named after a Confederate general, the installation was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023, and then returned to a different Bragg, a World War II paratrooper, after Trump returned to office.
“We are also bringing peace all over the world. Russia-Ukraine, it’s a mess. It’s a horrible thing. I think we’ll get there. It takes two to tango. We have to get there,” Trump said.
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