US President Donald Trump touted the idea of regime change in Iran as Washington weighs the possibility of taking military action against Tehran.
Trump’s remarks coincided with the Pentagon’s deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford – the world’s largest aircraft carrier – to the Middle East amid a growing US military buildup designed to pressure Iran to accept a new nuclear deal.
Regime Change
On Friday, Trump explicitly embraced the prospect of regime change in Iran as “the best thing that could happen,” he told reporters after a military event at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time,” Trump said.
However, he declined to reveal his plans regarding power succession in Iran, saying that “there are people.”
Following the largest anti-government protests in decades that gripped Iran this January, the exiled son of the Iranian Shah – toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution – has intensified his calls for regime change, urging the international intervention to stop the brutal crackdown on protesters.
Nuclear Negotiations
The US and Iran held the first round of indirect negotiations in Oman last week, which discussed Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump suggested that both sides would hold another round of talks, but no dates have been set.
Reuters reported, citing a briefed source, that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold negotiations with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with Omani representatives acting as mediators.
The Trump administration wants the talks to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups in the region. However, Iran insists the talks should only cover its nuclear program, signaling readiness to dilute its highly enriched uranium in exchange for the full removal of sanctions.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran of a “massive armada” approaching if it failed to reach an agreement, while Tehran vowed decisive retaliation.
“Give us the deal that they should have given us the first time. If they give us the right deal, we won’t do that,” Trump said on Friday about the possibility of avoiding military action.
Second Aircraft Carrier to Mideast
Earlier on Friday, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, would be “leaving very soon” for the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier and Strike Group deployed there.
The US has been ramping up military presence in the region with several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, more refueling tankers and additional Patriot and THAAD air defense systems.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it … if we need it, we’ll have it ready,” Trump said on sending the Gerald Ford carrier, which was part of the US operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro.
The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford carries over 75 military aircraft, including F-18 Super Hornet fighters and E-2 Hawkeye early-warning planes, and utilizes advanced radar for air traffic control and navigation.
Its escort – comprising the Ticonderoga-class cruiser Normandy and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt – provides comprehensive surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Military Option on Table
The US joined Israel in its 12-day war with Iran last June, striking key Iranian nuclear facilities. It had two aircraft carriers in the region when it launched the strikes.
After a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, Trump said he preferred to continue talks with Iran to reach a deal, despite increased pressure from Israel for military strikes.
However, the US military is bracing for an extended, weeks-long operation against Iran should Trump authorize an assault, two US officials told Reuters, describing the ongoing planning as “more complex” than the June’s Operation Midnight Hammer.
Speaking to US troops at Fort Bragg, Trump said that making a deal with Iran had been difficult. “Sometimes you have to have fear. That’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of,” he noted.
The White House also said that all options are on the table. Commenting on the preparations for a potential military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly replied: “President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran. He listens to a variety of perspectives on any given issue, but makes the final decision based on what is best for our country and national security.”
