Trump Walks Back Regime Change Talk in Iran, Urges Calm After Ceasefire.
Days after hinting at a possible regime change in Iran, US President Donald Trump reversed course on Tuesday, saying he does not seek to overthrow the Iranian government. The remark comes amid mounting global concern over a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump told reporters: “No, I don’t want [regime change]. I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible.”
“Regime change brings chaos, and ideally, we don’t want so much chaos.”
Shift From Weekend Rhetoric
Trump’s comments mark a stark departure from his own post on Truth Social over the weekend, where he suggested that regime change might be warranted if Iran’s current leadership failed to “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN.” “It’s not politically correct to use the term ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian regime can’t deliver, why wouldn’t there be one?” Trump wrote Sunday.
The post raised alarms among allies and contradicted assurances from his own administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance both stressed that recent US-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were not aimed at regime change, but intended to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
A White House statement later clarified that regime change was “not the goal”, and any leadership decision should be “left to the Iranian people.”
Ceasefire on Shaky Ground
Trump’s remarks also came amid a tenuous truce between Iran and Israel, brokered after nearly two weeks of escalating violence. Despite claims from Trump that the ceasefire was “in effect,” renewed tensions were reported, including Israeli airstrikes on a radar site near Tehran and unconfirmed reports of explosions.
Israel said it acted in retaliation to missile fire from Iran—claims that Tehran has denied.
Privately, Trump expressed frustration at both sides:
“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down now,” he reportedly said. “They’ve been fighting so long they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
Later, in a more diplomatic tone on Truth Social, he added:
“Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the war, equally.”
Allies Watching Closely
Trump’s quick pivot on Iran is expected to be a key topic at the NATO summit, as Western allies look for a consistent US strategy in the region. The president’s vacillating tone—threatening one day, conciliatory the next—has drawn criticism from foreign policy experts and lawmakers alike.
With the ceasefire under stress and trust in US messaging uncertain, Trump’s next moves will likely define both the fate of the truce and America’s standing in the Middle East.
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