Regime change in Iran would be the 'best thing that could happen': Trump

By Skylar Woodhouse

 

President Donald Trump said regime change would be the best outcome for Iran, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic in negotiations over its nuclear program as he builds up the US military presence in the region. 

“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump told reporters Friday following an event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Yet the president sidestepped a question about who he would like to take power in Iran, responding that he did not “want to talk about it.”

 

The US and Iran opened negotiations in Oman last week with Trump seeking an arrangement that would curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and threatening to strike the country if he does not secure a deal. The US president mobilized warships and fighter jets near Iran in response to a recent deadly crackdown by the regime there following mass protests, but has shifted his focus to Iran’s atomic capabilities.

 

Reuters, citing an unnamed source, reported Friday night that an American delegation that includes Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would meet with Iranian diplomats in Geneva on Tuesday.

 

US-led talks between Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to take place in Geneva, starting the same day.

 

The arrival of a US aircraft-carrier strike group in the Middle East has given Trump options to carry out an attack. He indicated on Friday that he was moving to heighten that presence, saying an additional carrier was heading to the region. 

“Tremendous power has arrived, and additional power, as you know, another carrier is going out shortly, so we’ll see it out if we can get it settled for once and for all that would be good,” Trump said.

 

Last year, the US and Israel struck nuclear facilities in the country. While Trump at the time said the mission had completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, he has resumed his pressure on the country to reach an agreement in exchange for sanctions relief.

 

Trump reiterated he wanted a suitable deal with Iran to avoid a similar strike.

 

“We don’t want any enrichment,” Trump said in response to a question about what he would see in the negotiations. 

 

On Thursday, Trump told reporters the discussions with Iran could drag out for as long as a month. Earlier this week, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has sought to convince Trump to use the talks to secure a more sweeping rollback of Iran’s military influence in the region.

 

Trump said his talks with Netanyahu were “very good” and he told the Israeli leader his preference is to continue with negotiations for now.