Trump says regime change ‘looks’ like ‘the best thing that could happen’ to Iran
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US President Donald Trump on Friday signed his support for regime change in Iran and declared that “a major power” will soon be in the Middle East, as the Pentagon sent a second aircraft carrier to the region.
The Trump administration’s military moves and tough rhetoric come as Washington and Tehran seek to revive talks over Tehran’s long-running nuclear standoff with the West.
A source briefed on the issue told Reuters that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold talks with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with representatives of Oman acting as mediators. The source said the two will also meet with Russian and Ukrainian officials on the same day as part of the US campaign to end the war in Ukraine.
Asked if he wanted regime change in Iran, Trump replied that “it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He declined to say who wants to take over Iran, but said “there are people.”
“They’ve been talking and talking and talking for 47 years,” Trump said after a military event at Fort Bragg, NC.
“Currently, we lost many lives while they were talking. Legs were blown off, arms were blown off, faces were blown off. We have been going on for a long time.”
Washington wants nuclear talks with Iran to also include the country’s missiles, support for armed groups in the region and the administration of the Iranian people. Iran said it was ready to discuss ways to curb its nuclear program in order to end sanctions, but ruled that the issue was related to missiles.
Trump has threatened to hit Iran if a deal is not reached, and Tehran has vowed to retaliate, fueling fears of a wider war as the United States consolidates its forces in the Middle East. The US targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities for strikes last year.
When asked what was left to target at the nuclear sites, Trump said “dust.” He added: “If we do, that would be very little of the equipment, but we might catch whatever is left.”
Large US presence
American officials described the complex process of transporting military equipment. The carrier Gerald R. Ford will join the carrier Abraham Lincoln, guided missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been deployed to the Middle East in recent weeks.
Gerald R. Ford, a new United States company and the world’s largest freighter, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and participated in operations in Venezuela earlier this year.
Asked earlier Friday why the second aircraft carrier was headed to the Middle East, Trump said: “If we don’t make a deal, we’re going to need it … if we need it, we’ll be ready.”
One of the officials, who did not want to be named, said the transporter would take at least a week to reach the Middle East.
The United States most recently had two aircraft carriers in the area last year, when it attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
With only 11 aircraft carriers in the US military arsenal, they are a scarce resource and their schedules are often scheduled in advance.
In a statement, the US Southern Command, which oversees US military operations in Latin America, said it would continue to focus on countering “illegal activities and bad actors in the Western Hemisphere.”
The Ford has been at sea since June 2025. It was supposed to operate in Europe before being moved to the Caribbean in November.
Iran’s foreign minister called the first round of informal talks with US officials on Iran’s nuclear program a ‘good start.’ But neighboring countries continue to worry about a US military strike that could spark a regional war.
Although carrier deployments typically last nine months, they are rarely extended during periods of increased US military activity.
Navy officials have long warned that increased deployments at sea could damage the morale of ships.
Officials said the administration was looking to send a separate company, Bush, to the Middle East, but it was receiving certification and would take about a month to reach the Middle East.
The Ford, which has a nuclear reactor on board, can host more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter jets such as the F-18 Super Hornet jet and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can serve as an early warning system.
Ford also has advanced radar that can help control air traffic and navigation.
The support ships – including the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Normandy and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile cruisers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney and Roosevelt – have surface-to-air, surface-to-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
