Trump Calls for Iranian Regime Change Amid Military Escalation

President Donald Trump called for the Iranian people to rise up and fight against their government on Wednesday, dismissing the value of negotiating a new agreement as worthless. His remarks follow a period of heavy fighting centered on the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. military has sought to maintain almost total control of the passage.

U.S. forces recently executed a wave of strikes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air-defense sites, radar systems, and communications hubs. In response to Iranian attacks on two Saudi tankers, the U.S. military implemented a tanker for tanker policy, using drones to destroy two Iranian government tankers. Other recent operations included strikes on Iranian forces preparing to mine the strait, though a U.S. airstrike in Kuhestak killed at least four civilians at a wedding party.

Simultaneously, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched Operation Economic Outcast, a global campaign designed to sever Iran's remaining economic ties. While Bessent suggested that economic asphyxiation and the threat of internal collapse could force the regime to the bargaining table, Trump denied reports that he is trying to force a deal, arguing instead that the regime is weakening and playing out the inevitable.