‘It would be the best thing that could happen’: Trump floats Iran regime change as US military prepares for weeks long ops

US President Donald Trump on Saturday raised the prospect of regime change in Iran. Trump told reporters in California that a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen”. 

The development comes as the US administration considers military action against Iran. “It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump said. 

He added that many lives have been lost amid ongoing negotiations that have lasted almost 47 years. Referring to the Iranian clergy’s regime, he said, “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking.” 

“In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk.” He further said, “Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time,” Trump said. Trump declined to name a successor to Iran’s current leadership, saying only that “there are people.”

Was the second carrier deployed because the dealmaker’s deal got stuck in Iran?

His remarks came after a second US aircraft carrier — USS Gerald R Ford– was deployed to the Middle East. It will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already operating in the region along with other American naval assets.

Trump has also said that the additional deployment would be used as leverage if talks with Iran over its nuclear programme fail. “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump said. “It’ll be leaving very soon. We have one out there that just arrived. If we need it we’ll have it ready, a very big force.”

The US military is reportedly preparing for the possibility of weeks-long operations against Iran if Donald Trump orders an attack, according to news agency Reuters.

If diplomacy does the trick, he said that the additional carrier group would withdraw. “If we have a deal, it’ll be leaving very soon.”

Nuclear agreement with Iran soon

Speaking to reporters, Trump said on Thursday that he expects progress on the nuclear agreement with Iran within weeks. When asked about the agreement timeline, he said, “I guess over the next month, something like that.”

“It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly.”

Regional tensions worsen

A sustained military campaign against Tehran could escalate into a far more serious conflict than what has been previously seen between the two countries. Recently, US forces shot down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln. Iran also tried to stop a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last week. 

Moreover, son of the ousted Iranian Shah, Reza Pahlavi, has urged Iranians to intensify protests against the clerical establishment.

In a post on X, “In this spirit, I invite you, on the evenings of February 14 and 15 at 8:00 pm, to raise your voices and chant from your homes and rooftops. Shout your demands. Show your unity.” 

40-day mourning ceremonies are taking place across Iran for those killed in last month’s nationwide crackdown.