Trump says he is open to regime change in Iran after strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities

Published on 23/06/2025 - 7:52 GMT+2

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran, questioning the future of Iran’s ruling theocracy.

Trump's social media jab at the regime in Iran came after he ordered a surprise attack on three of the country’s nuclear sites, raising the risk of a wider war in the Middle East amid warnings from his MAGA base and allies and foes from abroad.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump posted on social media. “MIGA!!!”

His comments seemingly contradicted an earlier call to Iran for negotiations and de-escalation in Tehran's war with Israel.

Trump's words also marked something of a reversal from his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing. “This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth said.

Trump's aides play down US involvement in conflict

Speaking on Fox News on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any retaliation against the US or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would “put the Iranian regime at risk.”

Rubio explained that what the US administration has made clear is that it wants Iran to stop any development of nuclear weapons. But beyond that, the world is awash in uncertainty at a fragile moment that could decide whether parts of the globe tip into war or find a way to salvage a relative peace.

Vice President JD Vance also spoke at news outlets. “We’re not at war with Iran,” Vance said on NBC. “We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

According to him, the strike offers a chance to restart stalled talks on reducing Iran's nuclear program.

Despite the efforts of Trump's senior aides to clarify the situation and put out a coordinated message and strategy on the US involvement or plan, Trump himself has made a series of intimidating statements even as he has simultaneously called to restart negotiations.

Analysts believe the messaging makes it hard to get a complete read on whether the US president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month.

Before Trump's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging from Trump's secretary of state, top military adviser, vice president, and head of the Pentagon indicated a belief that any fallout would be controlled.

The Israel-Iran conflict began on 13 June when Israel attacked Iran's military infrastructure, killing 10 of Tehran's nuclear scientists.

Iran responded with ballistic missiles and drone attacks on Israel, but Iran's military capabilities are believed to have been severely decimated after Israel's aerial campaign that took out much of Tehran's air defences and missile launchers.

At least 950 people have been killed by Israel's strikes on Iran, and 27 people have died from Iran's retaliatory strikes on Israel.