DUBLIN,Ireland June 23-Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred global attention by raising the prospect of regime change in Iran, following a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
Taking to social media on Sunday, Trump posed a provocative question: “Why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” a remark that has sparked speculation and confusion, even among his allies. The post came just a day after U.S. bombers struck three nuclear-related sites in Iran, in what Washington said was an effort to disrupt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
While Trump appeared to lean into the possibility of toppling the Iranian government, current U.S. officials have distanced themselves from that interpretation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance both reiterated that regime change is not the goal of recent military action.
Trump’s message marked a shift from his usual criticism of U.S. interventions abroad. Though he has often denounced past regime-change wars like the one in Iraq, his Sunday message read: “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???”
The comment has prompted both alarm and skepticism. Elliott Abrams, who served as Trump’s Iran envoy during his first term, told BBC Radio 4 that the post may not signal a real policy shift. “Trump could just be kidding around,” Abrams said, suggesting the remarks may not reflect a formal strategy.
The U.S. airstrikes, which used advanced bunker-busting bombs to target underground facilities, came on the heels of Israeli attacks aimed at neutralizing Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump have both warned that Tehran is edging closer to developing a nuclear weapon—something Iran continues to deny.
Trump claimed the strikes had caused “monumental damage,” but independent assessments of the scale of destruction remain unclear. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has called for a ceasefire to allow for inspections of the damaged sites.
Iran has responded with outrage. Early Monday, Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes on six airports inside Iran. Tehran has also threatened “everlasting consequences” and is reportedly weighing further military responses.
In a potentially alarming development for global trade, Iranian lawmakers have approved a plan to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which roughly 25% of the world’s oil and gas flows. The U.S. State Department has issued a global caution advisory, and about 40,000 American troops stationed across the Middle East are now on high alert.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged China to pressure Tehran not to proceed with closing the strait, warning of serious economic fallout. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister has flown to Moscow for urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with both sides expected to address what they describe as “shared threats.”
