President Donald Trump today embraced potential 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.
Trump’s military moves and tough talk comes 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 Reuters 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 Witkoff and Kushner will also meet officials from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday in Geneva in 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 proxy 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 all sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
B2 bombers
In a statement, he said, “We have just ordered a large batch of highly advanced B-2 fighter jets that struck Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
He said: “I believe that negotiations with Iran will succeed, and if that doesn’t happen, it will be a bad day for them,” explaining, “We will need a second aircraft carrier if no agreement is reached with Iran.”
STARADV
