After the US attacked three key Iranian nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump seems to have left open the possibility of regime change in Tehran.
"Using the term 'Making Iran Great again' is not politically accurate, but if the current Iranian regime cannot make Iran great again (Make Iran Great again), then why don't there be a regime change??? MIGA" - Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 22, 2025 (photo below).
This statement goes against the message given by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just a few hours earlier. This mission is not and has never been aimed at changing the regime, Hegseth stressed at a press conference on the morning of June 22.
According to the Pentagon, the Operation Midnight Hammer has seriously destroyed three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan without any resistance from Tehran.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that the targets had "seriously suffered damage", and estimated that Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons had been pushed back "multiple years".
However, Iranian officials denied that the Fordow nuclear stronghold was wiped out after the US airstrike.
Speaking to domestic media, Mohammad Manan Raeisi, a lawmaker representing the province of Qom, where the Fordow facility is located, affirmed: Only a few structures on the ground were slightly damaged. The sensitive materials were completely evacuated before the attack took place. He emphasized: There was no radioactive leak. The entire facility is still in a state of safety control".
While top officials in the Trump administration try to reassure public opinion and reaffirm that the US is not looking for war, Trumps status lines suggest a completely different scenario a risky game with the risk of a explosive explosion in the Middle East.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any retaliatory action by Iran could put the regime in danger. US Vice President JD Vance said the attack was an an opportunity to restart negotiations if Iran refused to return to the negotiation table.
However, Mr. Trump's use of the sensitive phrase "ternature regime" and directly questioning the existence of the Tehran government has many experts concerned, is this just a psychological blow, or a sign of an uncontrolled escalation?
Iran currently has many options to respond - from closing the Strait of Hormuz, attacking US bases in the region, stepping up cyber attacks to restarting the nuclear program. All of these could lead to unpredictable consequences globally.
Internally, the military action immediately faced criticism from Congress. Delegate Thomas Massie criticized the President for unilaterally launching the attack without the approval of the National Assembly. In response, Mr. Trump did not hesitate to counter-fire on social media: We just won a spectacular military victory, taking the bomb out of their hands (and they will definitely use it if they can! ).
