'It Was Not A Part': Trump Says He 'Never Cared' About Regime Change In Iran
'It Was Not A Part': Trump Says He 'Never Cared' About Regime Change In Iran Published By, Last Updated: June 17, 2026, 03:42 IST Trump
'It Was Not A Part': Trump Says He 'Never Cared' About Regime Change In Iran Published By, Last Updated: June 17, 2026, 03:42 IST Trump said removing Iran's government had never been part of Washington's objectives during the conflict. Rapid Read Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and US President Donald Trump. (File Image) US President Donald Trump formally rejected the idea that regime change in Iran was ever a goal of his administration, despite having repeatedly voiced support in recent months for the overthrow of the country’s clerical leadership. Speaking alongside Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump said removing Iran’s government had never been part of Washington’s objectives during the conflict. “You talk about regime change.
I never cared about regime change. It was never a part," Trump said. The remarks marked a notable shift in tone from statements the US President made earlier this year. In February, Trump described the overthrow of Iran’s government as “the best thing that could happen" to the country. Following US and Israeli military strikes during the war, he also called on Iranians to rise up against their rulers, declaring that “the hour of your freedom is at hand." Trump’s latest comments came as he celebrated a US-Iran peace agreement that ended months of fighting across the region and laid the groundwork for restoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. While insisting regime change was never a policy objective, Trump appeared to acknowledge that Iran’s leadership had effectively been transformed by the conflict.
“I guess you have regime change," he said, referring to the deaths of senior Iranian leaders during the war. “The first group, they’re all dead. The second group, they’re dead. A part of the third group is gone," he continued. Iran’s political landscape was dramatically altered after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening stages of the conflict. Leadership subsequently passed to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Trump suggested the new Iranian leadership was more pragmatic than its predecessors and signaled optimism about future relations between Washington and Tehran. “We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people," he said, adding, “They were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people. I think actually they’re smarter than the first and second group, but they’re not radicalized and they’re looking to help their country." The US President said that relations between the two countries had effectively normalized following the agreement.
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