Trump raises idea of regime change in Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump raised the idea of regime change in Tehran as the world braces for Iran's response to the U.S. attacks on its nuclear sites.

In a post to the Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump raised the idea of regime change in Iran.

"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??? MIGA!!!" he wrote.

Trump's post came after officials in his administration, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, stressed they were not working to overthrow Iran's government.

Israeli officials, who began the hostilities with a surprise attack on Iran on June 13, have increasingly spoken of their ambition to topple the hardline Shia Muslim clerical establishment.

As Tehran weighed its options, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. The Kremlin has a strategic partnership with Iran, but also close links with Israel.

Speaking in Istanbul on Sunday, Araghchi said his country would consider all possible responses and there would be no return to diplomacy until it had retaliated.

Russia's foreign ministry condemned the U.S. attacks which it said had undermined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and warned of conflict spreading in the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council met on Sunday to discuss the U.S. strikes as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council the U.S. bombings in Iran marked a perilous turn in the region and urged a return to negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.

Commercial airlines were weighing how long to suspend Middle East flights after the U.S. struck Iran. The Middle East route has become more important for flights between Europe and Asia but flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed empty space on Sunday over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel.