Skip to main content

Trump administration denies pursuing regime change in Iran

The US "maximum pressure" campaign lets the Donald Trump administration look like it is being tough on Iran while reducing US involvement in Syria and other parts of the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an "Angel Families" immigration event at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1EA848DD60

WASHINGTON — The United States is not pursuing regime change in Iran, a top State Department official insisted today, even while he highlighted recent Iranian protests, the Iranian currency’s plunge in value against the dollar and the Donald Trump administration’s urging of countries around the world to drop their imports of Iranian oil to zero by November.

“This new strategy is not about changing the regime,” State Department policy planning chief Brian Hook told journalists at the State Department today. “It is about changing the behavior of the leadership in Iran to comport with what the Iranian people really want them to do.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.