US President Donald Trump on Friday said that a regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen,” as the Pentagon deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid mounting speculation over a potential military strike.
Speaking to reporters after a military event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump said that “tremendous power” would soon be positioned in the region, referring to the ongoing US military buildup.
When asked directly whether he supported regime change in Iran, Trump responded: “Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.”
The president accused Tehran of prolonging negotiations even as Washington and Tehran attempt to revive diplomacy over Iran’s long-running nuclear dispute with Western nations, as well as concerns regarding its crackdown on anti-government protests.
“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said. “In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time.”
#WATCH | On Iran, US President Donald Trump says, "...For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk...Let's see what happens. In the meantime, tremendous power has arrived and additional power, as you know,… pic.twitter.com/rragHoRppE
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2026
The United States has sought to broaden nuclear negotiations to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its support for armed groups across the region, and human rights concerns. Tehran has indicated it is willing to discuss limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief but has rejected linking the issue to its missile capabilities.
Trump warned that his administration intends to resolve the matter “once and for all” and confirmed the arrival of additional US military assets in the region.
“A tremendous power has arrived and additional power, as you know, and other carriers are going out shortly. So we’ll see it out. Get it settled for once and for all, and that’ll be good,” he said.
Also read
- The erosion of the sectarian firewall: Decoding the capture of an Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya official in Lebanon
- Iran vows to continue uranium enrichment, says US military presence ‘doesn’t scare us’
- Tensions flare in Arabian sea: US fighter jet shoots down Iranian drone Shahed-139 after 'aggressive approach'
Trump has previously threatened military strikes if no agreement is reached, while Iran has vowed to retaliate, raising fears of broader conflict as the United States increases its military presence in the Middle East.
“We have a situation right now where we have sent a very big carrier group to Iran. I would love to see if we could make a deal. They’ve been difficult to make a deal with. I thought we would have had a deal last time. They wish they did, and that’s what we did, ‘Midnight Hammer,’” Trump added.
