WASHINGTON, June 23 (Alliance News): US President Donald Trump has openly called for regime change in Iran, stating that if the Iranian government has failed to “make the country great again,” then change is necessary.
In a tweet posted Monday, Trump asserted, “The use of the term regime change is not considered politically correct. But if Iran has failed, then why not?”
President Trump praised the US military’s recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling them “accurate and on target,” and claimed that the damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is extensive.
The strikes were carried out under “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a coordinated air campaign involving B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk missiles.
Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Air Force Chief of Staff General Dan Keane, US Secretary of Defense Pat Hegseth declared that the Iranian nuclear program has been destroyed. He warned Tehran that any retaliation would be met with “full force.”
Hegseth emphasized that the mission was not intended for regime change or to harm civilians, stating, “President Trump wants peace.
Iran must take this path.” He added that Israel had “initial success” targeting Iranian sites and that the US was reinforcing allied operations with overwhelming military capacity.
General Keane said that three major Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — were precisely hit with the largest deployment of B-2 bombers in US military history.
Iranian air defenses reportedly failed to detect or respond to the incoming aircraft, while no Iranian fighter jets launched during the operation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in, declaring, “The world is safer and more stable today than it was 24 hours ago.” He maintained that the US is still open to talks with Iran but warned that retaliation would be Tehran’s “biggest mistake.”
Rubio further claimed that Iran previously possessed “enough highly enriched uranium to produce nine or ten atomic bombs,” but this is no longer the case.
He urged China to mediate in the Strait of Hormuz crisis, noting there was no evidence of Beijing’s involvement in the recent tensions.
The US’s hardened stance and calls for regime change have prompted widespread condemnation from several countries, including Pakistan, Russia, and China, while raising fears of a broader Middle East conflict.
