Regime Change Would Be the ‘Best Thing’ for Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump signalled support for regime change in Iran and declared that “tremendous power” will soon be in the Middle East, as the Pentagon sent a second aircraft carrier to the region.

The Trump administration’s military moves and tough talk ‌come even as Washington and Tehran seek to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.

A source briefed on the matter told that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold negotiations with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with representatives from Oman acting as mediators.

The source said the two will also meet officials from Russia and Ukraine there the same day as part of the U.S. drive to bring an end to the war in ​Ukraine.

Asked if he wanted regime change in Iran, Trump responded that it “seems like that would be ​the best thing that could happen.” He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said “there are people.”

“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said after a military event at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“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.”

Washington wants nuclear talks with ⁠Iran to also cover the country’s ballistic missiles, ⁠support for armed groups around the region and the treatment of the Iranian people. Iran ‌has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.

Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached, while Tehran has vowed to retaliate, stoking fears of a wider war as the U.S. amasses forces in the Middle East. The U.S. targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities in strikes last year.

When asked what was left to be targeted at the nuclear sites, Trump ⁠said the “dust.” He added: “If we do it, that would be the least of the mission, but we probably grab whatever is left.”

US sending second aircraft carrier

The Pentagon is sending a second aircraft carrier group – the USS Gerald Ford – to the Middle East, according to a senior administration official and three sources familiar with the matter, a move that puts pressure on Iran even as President Donald Trump has said talks with Tehran will continue.

Trump told reporters he’s dispatching the second carrier group in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement.

“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” he said, later adding the ships would depart if diplomacy is successful.

The Ford carrier strike group – the US’ most advanced – has been positioned in the Caribbean Sea for several months amid Trump’s campaign in Venezuela, which has included strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.

It will now join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East region, expanding Trump’s options for a potential strike on Iran. The move was first reported by the New York Times.

The change comes even as Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a White House visit on Wednesday he intends to keep pursuing a deal with Iran.

“They want to make a deal, as they should want to make a deal,” Trump said last week. “They know the consequences if they don’t. If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep. So we’ll see what happens.”

Trump said Thursday that he hopes to get a deal with Iran “over the next month.”

But the president has not ruled out ordering new strikes and has ordered a buildup of assets that would allow for a major US air campaign against Iran’s nuclear and missile assets. Aside from the USS Abraham Lincoln, several US warships have been positioned in the region, comprising what Trump has referred to as a “flotilla.”

Meanwhile, delegations from the US and Iran met earlier this month in Oman for the first round of negotiations since the US and Israel struck Iran last summer. The talks came after Trump held off on strikes against Iran after seriously considering military action in response to the country’s brutal crackdown on protesters.

After completing talks, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the Lincoln carrier.

A spokesperson for US Southern Command, which oversees the military’s operations in the Western Hemisphere, told CNN the change in force posture won’t diminish the US’ capabilities in the Caribbean.

“While force posture evolves, our operational capability does not. SOUTHCOM forces remain fully ready to project power, defend themselves, and protect U.S. interests in the region. At the direction of the President and the Secretary of War, we continue mission-focused operations to counter illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere.”

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