Hegseth: Trump administration is NOT looking for a regime change in Iran
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the administration of President Donald Trump is not looking for a regime change in Iran.
Hegseth, according to Breitbart News, said as much on Sunday, after the Trump administration ordered strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
President Trump's goal in attacking Iran has been a major point of contention, with some wondering whether it is simply to stop the country from getting nuclear weapons and others wondering whether it might be to effect a regime change.
Assuming that Hegseth is speaking for Trump, we now have the answer.
"Not about regime change."
Pete Hegseth: This mission was not and has not been about regime change. The President authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program."
Operation Midnight Hammer!
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) June 22, 2025
Hegseth made these remarks on Sunday morning, when he addressed reporters at the Pentagon. He was joined by Joint Chiefs Char Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine.
The defense secretary said:
This mission was not, has not been about regime change. The President authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self defense of our troops and our ally Israel.
Hegseth went on to highlight the success of the operation, although he noted that "the battle damage assessment is ongoing."
"All of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect," he said. The desired effect, of course, was the elimination of Iran's nuclear potential.
What now?
The big question, as of Sunday morning, is how Iran is going to respond to the situation.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it still wants Iran to come to the negotiating table to make a deal. The president, for his part, has said that "now is the time for peace."
Iran, however, has already indicated that it really has no interest in peace. One of the country's foreign ministers, after the strikes, put out a message, saying:
The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.
Regardless, Hegseth said that "both public and private messages are being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels, giving them every opportunity to come to the table."
For the public, all we can do now is wait and see how this situation progresses.
