The president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated in an interview with Fox News that he believes that regime change in Iran will come at some point, but “not immediately,” recognizing the complexity of the situation amidst the war between Washington and Iran. The statement marks a shift in the official discourse on the objectives of the conflict, in which Trump has mixed military pressure, strategic threats, and political expectations regarding the Iranian people themselves.
Trump pointed out that he hopes that in the long run the pressure, both internal and external, will end up weakening the regime, but he did not consider a change of leadership in Tehran in the short term realistic, given the resistance of the authorities and the strong control over Iranian society. His comment comes at a time when the war, which began with a joint offensive by the United States and Israel at the end of February, has escalated both militarily and geopolitically.
Iranian nuclear program
In the same interview, Trump also addressed the issue of the Iranian nuclear program, stating that he is not currently focused on an operation to “seize enriched uranium,” although he did not rule out that this could be considered in the future if circumstances require it.
The context of these statements is a war in which the U.S. and Israel have attacked thousands of targets in Iran with the declared objective of curbing its military and nuclear capability, while Tehran has responded with waves of missiles and drones, intensifying a crisis that has already caused thousands of casualties and disruptions in global energy markets.
International analysts agree that a regime change driven solely from outside will be difficult to achieve, and that the internal resistance of the Iranian regime remains strong, even after months of protests and sanctions. Many voices in Washington have advocated mixed strategies that include military pressure, economic sanctions, and indirect support for internal movements, but none guarantees a rapid political transition in Tehran.