President Donald Trump continues to signal that he wants to see government overthrow in Iran, having told reporters Friday that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen” – at a moment he’s also confirmed a second carrier group has been dispatched to the region.
Speaking to reporters after visiting troops at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Trump doubled down just hours after confirming he is sending the second carrier strike group from where it was operating in the Caribbean.
“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump said when asked about pushing for the removal of the Ayatollah and the Islamic Republic. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.”
All of this also comes days after Trump hinted that another round of nuclear talks with Iran could be imminent. Those discussions have so far failed to materialize, and there are reports saying more Oman-based talks are slated for next week.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump said of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier deployment. “It’ll be leaving very soon.”
REPORTER: “Do you want regime change in Iran?”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking…”
…
REPORTER: “Who would you want to take over?”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I don’t want to talk… pic.twitter.com/Ry186JpN7h
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 13, 2026
At the moment, inside Iran, forty-day mourning ceremonies are underway for thousands killed during last month’s sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests; however, police and security services are still firmly in control of the streets and the country.
The Ford will reinforce the USS Abraham Lincoln and its guided-missile destroyers, which have been operating in the region for more than two weeks.
US Navy officials expected that it will take the Ford a least a week to arrive in Mediterranean waters, but from there it’s unclear whether it would then go through the Suez Canal to get closer to southern Iran.
Trump had also earlier made clear to Tehran that failure to cut a deal would be “very traumatic” even as US diplomacy clings to the possibility of a quick agreement.
Early this past week, he told Axios: “Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” he told Axios to kick off the week. The Iranians will no doubt have this ringing in their ears headed into a planned second round of talks.
Loading recommendations…