Trump calls for ‘regime change' to ‘make Iran great again' after ‘monumental' nuke blitz as Tehran vows to revenge
DONALD Trump has floated the idea of a regime change in Tehran to "Make Iran Great Again" after bombing the Islamic Republic.
Less than a day after the US military blitzed three key facilities central to the Iranians' nuclear ambitions, Trump hinted that the Mullahs' regime could well be toppled.
3
3
3
Inspired by his Make America Great Again (MAGA) political movement, the president called for "Make Iran Great Again" (MIGA) - and hinted that the autocratic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be ousted.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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!!"
Trump's post came despite his MAGA administration repeatedly saying the US is not looking for a regime change in Iran.
Though the Israelis have expressed great interest in toppling the top Islamist leadership in Tehran, something they think would bring peace in the Middle East.
Trump's No2 JD Vance yesterday said that the administration's view "has been very clear that we don't want a regime change."
He told NBC 's Meet The Press: "We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it's already been built out. We want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here."
Speaking of the US bombings in Iran, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "This mission was not and has not been about regime change."
Trump last night hailed the US military bombing on Iran's key nuclear facilities, saying the strikes "obliterated" Tehran's doomsday program.
He said that the US military took the "bomb out of Iran's hands" and caused "monumental" damage to Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
But the Islamic Republic - hurt and wounded - has vowed to retaliate by striking US targets in the Middle East.
Tehran retaliated to the US bombing by approving steps to close the Strait of Hormuz - a bottleneck entrance to the Gulf where nearly a quarter of the oil shipped around the world passes through narrow waters.
Attempting to choke off Gulf oil by closing the strait could send global oil prices skyrocketing and derail the world economy.
It would also invite an almost certain conflict with the US Navy 's massive Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf, which is tasked with keeping it open.
Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said bases used by US forces could be attacked in retaliation.
'Any country in the region or elsewhere that is used by American forces to strike Iran will be considered a legitimate target for our armed forces,' he said in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency.
'America has attacked the heart of the Islamic world and must await irreparable consequences.'
Tehran has so far not followed through on its threats of retaliation against the US - either by targeting its military bases or trying to choke off global oil supplies. But that may not hold up.
Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal, or tries to harm American interests.
He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: " Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier."
"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Iran says it is 'co-ordinating with Russia', warns US should expect 'heavy consequences' and declares 'Trump may start this war but we will end it' as fears grow UK and other allies face terror backlash: Live updates
Iran has warned that the United States should expect 'heavy consequences' for striking its nuclear sites, issuing a threat that its entry into the conflict with Israel will 'expand the scope of legitimate targets'. 'Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it,' Iran's military command spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari said in a recorded statement today. Trump declared last night that 'monumental damage' has been done 'to all nuclear sites in Iran' as he called for a regime change in the Islamic country. The US president wrote on his Truth Social page that satellite images he obtained showed the Iranian nuclear facilities were 'obliterated,' and noted that the most damage 'took place far below ground level.' 'Why wouldn't there be a regime change,' Trump went on to question - even though he and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had earlier urged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to 'return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.' The two world leaders made the urgent request just one day after the US sent a fleet of B-2 bombers to take out three Iranian enrichment sites. The 'bunker buster' raid from Trump stunned the world and led the United Nations to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday afternoon, where officials said the US crippled Iran's crucial enrichment sites. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that his country will 'have to respond' to Trump's aggression, and said it was co-ordinating with Russia ahead of a meeting with Vladimir Putin today.
Sky News
30 minutes ago
- Sky News
The four questions Starmer will be asking on Iran
👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne's on your podcast app👈 Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump about the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table after Tehran's warning of "everlasting consequences" for the US bombing raid on their nuclear sites. On this episode, Sam and Anne discuss the key questions facing the UK government after the military action, including what escalation could look like and whether Britain is ready for the economic blowback. Plus, they also discuss the government's new industrial strategy, with eight industries singled out for support and a promise to help lower energy prices from 2027 for certain companies, though not for others. Sam and Anne discuss how it will be paid for.
Spectator
32 minutes ago
- Spectator
The Isis threat to Syria hasn't gone away
Just as things were starting to get better in Syria, an attack against the Christian community has shaken the country. In the suburbs of Damascus, a suspected Isis member entered the Mar Elias Church during Sunday mass, opened fire on the Greek Orthodox worshipers and then detonated a suicide vest. So far, the Syrian Health Ministry has confirmed at least 20 dead and 52 injured. As I arrived at the scene, armed members of the security forces were closing off the premises, trying to herd away the anxious locals who had gathered. Rubble and shattered glass on the streets, inside pools of blood. The Syrian White Helmets were picking through the broken furniture and looking for unexploded ordnance with a dog. A dazed priest was picking up scattered religious items from the floor. It is a step back for Syria, a grim reminder of the 14-year-long civil war that ravaged the country 'I was at home a few streets down when I heard the attack,' said George, a local living in the area. 'Then I heard the explosion – different from the ones coming from Iranian missiles that are being intercepted in our skies these days. As I arrived, I saw the chaos and smelled the blood. I couldn't go in. I'm Greek Catholic, they are Greek Orthodox, but I'm sure I know the dead, some are probably my relatives. What can I say? Right now I don't feel anything.' Speculation about the attacker's identity quickly spread among those gathered. 'He was Chechen or some other Caucasian!' exclaimed Maria, another resident in the neighbourhood. 'I know a radical previously came to convert people in this church, and the security threw him out. It must have been a revenge for that.' Syria's Interior Ministry confirmed that Isis was behind the attack. The police and plainclothes members of the new security, armed with Kalashnikovs, were quick to react, setting up many checkpoints around the city. Cars were searched and pedestrians tapped down. This was the worst attack that Isis carried out since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Following the implosion of the previous regime, Ahmad al-Sharaa and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took over the government. Despite coming from a radical Islamist background and once being allied to Isis, the new administration promised to protect minorities, including Syria's sizeable Christian communities. They claim many Isis cells have been busted, planned attacks thwarted, but this one slipped through. It is a step back for Syria, a grim reminder of the 14-year-long civil war that ravaged the country. The biggest challenge to Interim President al-Sharaa was to unify the countless armed groups of various ideologies, ethnic and religious denominations. Considerable steps have been achieved, like striking deals with the Kurdish-run Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Isis, however, is still a headache and is here to stay.
