Trump signals political shift in Iran

Washington: US President Donald Trump suggested that recent US military action had reshaped Iran’s leadership structure, saying a new group of leaders had emerged in Tehran and was proving more willing to negotiate with Washington.

Speaking at the White House, Trump argued that military pressure had fundamentally altered the political landscape inside Iran and created conditions for a breakthrough agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“It’s a regime change, because I find these people to be much more rational than the people that are no longer with us,” Trump told reporters.

The remarks came as Trump expressed confidence that the United States and Iran were nearing a formal agreement that would permanently prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

According to the President, the Iranian leadership currently engaged in negotiations differs significantly from the officials who previously directed the country’s policies.

“We knocked out the first team of leadership, the second team of leadership,” Trump said. “There’s a different group there’s a different level and I think it’s frankly a smarter level, and it’s a level that has reason.”

Trump said the new leadership had approved the framework agreement and was committed to completing it.

“They’ve all approved the deal,” he said. “Everybody’s approved the deal.”

The President attributed the shift in Tehran’s position to the impact of recent military operations.

“They’ve taken a pounding,” Trump said. “They want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

He painted a bleak picture of Iran’s military capabilities following the conflict.

“Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, everything’s gone,” Trump said.

Despite those losses, Trump said he now viewed the current Iranian leadership as prepared to engage pragmatically with the United States.

“We found them to be rational and they’re going to make a deal,” he said.

The President repeatedly stressed that the central purpose of the negotiations remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“They will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump described the proposed arrangement as “a very strong memorandum of understanding” and said it could be signed within days.

“It’s something that’s going to get done,” he said.

The President also suggested that a successful agreement could create opportunities for Iran to rebuild.

“They’ve got a chance to build a country,” Trump said.

His comments are likely to attract attention because US administrations have traditionally avoided explicitly endorsing regime change as an objective of American policy toward Iran. Trump’s remarks appeared to link recent military operations with broader political changes inside the country.

IANS