Regime change in Iran is best solution: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that regime change in Iran is the “best solution that could happen,” signaling one of his clearest positions yet on replacing the country’s religious leadership.

Speaking on Friday (February 13), Trump said, “They’ve been talking for 47 years. In the meantime, we’ve lost many lives.” He did not specify who he would like to see in power but noted there are people in Iran “capable of taking responsibility.” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not responded.

The US has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to increase pressure on Tehran. The USS Gerald R. Ford is set to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already in the region. Trump shared an image of the carrier on his social media platform, Truth Social.

According to BBC reports, the US first deployed a carrier in January following a harsh crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, which reportedly left thousands dead. The unrest is seen as one of the largest internal crises since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Trump warned that military action could be taken against Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached. However, after a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, he said talks with Tehran would continue. On Friday at Fort Bragg, Trump stated Iran should agree to “a deal they should have accepted the first time.”

The US demands that Iran halt uranium enrichment. Israel seeks an end to Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has indicated it is willing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but President Masoud Pezeshkian warned the country will “not yield to excessive demands.”

During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal under former President Barack Obama and reimposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran, severely impacting its economy.