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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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President Donald Trump asked on Sunday why there "wouldn't" be "regime change" in Iran if the country's government isn't able to "MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN."
Trump's comments came after multiple top administration officials said that regime change was not the U.S.'s goal in targeting Iran's three main nuclear facilities this weekend.
Why It Matters
Trump on Saturday evening announced what he described as a "very successful attack" against three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
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U.S. officials said the attacks caused severe damage, but questions remain about the full extent of the damage and how much of a setback it is for Iran's nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Trump administration for taking an offensive position in the conflict, which Israeli officials have strongly advocated for since Israel first ignited the war on June 13. The Israelis said the U.S. should strike Iran's nuclear facilities because Tehran was getting close to developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
Trump's decision to launch the strike drew condemnation from Democrats and some Republicans and fueled concerns about a wider war in the Middle East. Several lawmakers also accused the president of breaking the law because he greenlit the strikes without congressional authorization.
Iran, meanwhile, vowed to retaliate, accusing the U.S. of crossing "a very big red line" with its decision to pummel the three nuclear sites with 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
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What To Know
Trump mused about the possibility of regime change in Iran on his social media website, Truth Social, on Sunday evening.
"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???" the president wrote. "MIGA!!!"
Hours earlier, Trump's vice president and defense secretary emphasized in public remarks that the administration was not looking for regime change in Iran.
"This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon on Sunday morning.
Vice President JD Vance told NBC News' Kristen Welker in a Meet the Press interview on Sunday that the U.S. was not at war with Iran but rather with its nuclear program.
Tehran, meanwhile, responded to the U.S.'s strikes with a flurry of missiles launched at Israel that injured scores of people and destroyed buildings in Tel Aviv.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also told French President Emmanuel Macron that the country would retaliate, saying, "The U.S. has attacked us; what would you do in such a situation? Naturally, they must receive a response to their aggression."
What People Are Saying
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday evening: "ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."
Leon Panetta, who served as Secretary of Defense under former President Barack Obama, defended Trump's strikes on Iran, telling CNN: "I think we have made very clear that the United States would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. I think there was an effort to try to negotiate, but I think the bottom line was that Iran was not interested in negotiating and willing to do anything to stop their enrichment and bomb capability. And so I don't think the United States had any alternative but to conduct this type of attack."
What Happens Next
Iran has promised to retaliate against the U.S.'s strikes and launched a fresh volley of missiles toward Israel on Sunday that injured scores of people and destroyed buildings in Tel Aviv. Iran is also set to hold direct talks with Russia, a key strategic partner, in the aftermath of the U.S. strikes.
Update 6/22/25, 8:18 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.
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