Trump mulls regime change in Iran

WASHINGTON

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly mulled on June 22 the potential overthrow of the Iranian government, despite several of his administration officials earlier stressing that U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites did not have that goal.

"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??? MIGA!!!" he said on social media.

He was using a modified form of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) slogan to refer to Iran.

Trump authorized U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites early June 22 using bunker-buster bombs dropped by B-2 stealth bombers on the Fordo facility plus dozens of submarine-launched cruise missiles targeting the Natanz and Isfahan sites.

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said more than 125 American aircraft participated in the mission, including stealth bombers, fighter jets, refueling tankers and surveillance aircraft as well as a guided missile submarine.

His post came hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that “This mission was not and has not been about regime change.”

Hostilities broke out June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, at least 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.