President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of regime change in Iran, defending his assertion that the country’s nuclear enrichment sites had been “totally obliterated” by US strikes over the weekend. Despite a US damage assessment still underway, Trump insisted that “monumental damage” had been caused to the sites struck by GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles on Saturday night. He added that the “biggest damage took place far below ground level” and claimed a “Bullseye@@!”
Trump also highlighted the potential for regime change in Tehran if its leaders failed to “make Iran great again.” This went further than the remarks of his senior officials, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stating that the mission was not about regime change but a “precision operation” targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Vice President JD Vance affirmed that the US was “not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US was “not looking for war in Iran.”
In response, Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, accused the US of being “behind” Israel’s campaign against the Islamic Republic and vowed a response. US defense officials are still determining the extent of the damage caused by “Operation Midnight Hammer.” General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, noted that it was unclear whether Iran retained some nuclear capability and stopped short of using Trump’s language.
The UN nuclear chief, Rafael Grossi, stated that no one, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, was in a position to assess the underground damage at one of the sites, Fordow.
As a result of the attacks, the Middle East experienced unprecedented turmoil, leading to airlines aiding stranded travelers and countries arranging repatriation flights for citizens. The US Department of Homeland Security issued a terrorism bulletin on Sunday, warning of cyberattacks and violence in the US, including antisemitic hate crimes, anticipating a “heightened threat environment” throughout the summer.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/23/trump-talks-of-regime-change-in-iran-and-insists-us-obliterated-nuclear-sites
