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3. Trump Wants to Create Conditions for ‘Regime Change’ in Iran: U.S. Sources

U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters and wants to create conditions for “regime change”, multiple U.S. sources familiar with the discussions told The Times of Israel. 

To do so, he was looking at options to hit commanders and institutions Washington holds responsible for the violence, to give protesters the confidence that they could overrun government and security buildings, they said.

One of the sources says the options being discussed by Trump’s aides also included a much larger strike intended to have lasting impact, possibly against the ballistic missiles that can reach U.S. allies in the Middle East or its nuclear enrichment programs.

The other U.S. source says Trump hasn’t yet made a final decision on a course of action including whether to take the military path.

Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons, warning that any future U.S. attack would be more severe than a June bombing campaign against three nuclear sites. He described the ships in the region as an "armada" sailing to Iran.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was "preparing itself for a military confrontation, while at the same time making use of diplomatic channels." However, Washington was not showing openness to diplomacy, the official said.

Iran, which says its nuclear program is civilian, was ready for dialogue "based on mutual respect and interests" but would defend itself "like never before" if pushed, Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a post on X on Wednesday.