Trump says the official objective focuses on behavior change not regime change. Trump says making clear American goals prevents mission creep and confusion. Trump says Iran’s government could survive if it complies with demands. Trump says regime change remains possible outcome if Iran chooses confrontation. Trump says the distinction matters for international law and regional stability.
Trump says Iran’s nuclear programs and protester killings reflect regime character. Trump says thousands died because of fundamental regime pathologies. Trump says behavior change might require leadership change ultimately. Trump says regime change could emerge organically from Iranian choices. Trump says American strategy creates conditions where regime survival requires compliance.
Iranian officials interpreted American statements as confirming regime change agenda. Abbas Araghchi stated any negotiations under regime change threat were impossible. Regional states worried about power vacuums if Iranian government collapsed. Regime change objectives would transform the crisis’s fundamental nature. The ambiguity about ultimate goals complicated diplomatic efforts.
Trump says clarifying that compliance allows survival gives Iran options. Trump says regime change agenda would eliminate any incentive for cooperation. Trump says Venezuela showed how regime change can occur without being objective. Trump says Iranian choices not American plans will determine regime fate. Trump says the focus remains behavioral compliance not governmental transformation.
Policy experts debated whether regime change was inevitable objective regardless. Some argued Iranian compliance without regime change seemed unrealistic. Others suggested regime change focus would unite Iranian society against America. The goal ambiguity might be strategic or simply reflect internal administration divisions. Ultimate objectives remained unclear as crisis intensified.