Trump Declares Victory, Claims ‘Regime Change’ Has Happened In Iran
The U.S. has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war, according to a report in the New York Times. The plan was delivered to Iranian officials via Pakistan, which is looking to help host and mediate talks.
At the same time, President Trump on Tuesday said that the war with Iran has been “won.” He also claimed that the U.S. has achieved “regime change,” even though the Islamic regime remains in charge and the former Supreme Leader’s son took over for him.
Trump noted that the U.S. and Israel have killed several dozen members of Iran’s leadership, which he is defining as “regime change.” See ⬇️ just how many high-ranking Iranian figures have been killed since the war began Feb. 28.
HE SAID / HE SAID
As peace negotiations get started, Trump also cautioned, “I don’t trust anybody.” But, he said he is pursuing talks and predicted a deal is imminent, despite Iranian officials denying any negotiations are taking place. On Monday, Trump said U.S.-Iran talks were "good and productive."
ON THE TABLEOn Monday, Trump said he would postpone planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for at least five days — a move that would have marked a major escalation in the conflict — as the White House has talks toward ending the war with Iran.
Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey are now leading efforts to broker a deal between the U.S. and Iran, acting as intermediaries between Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
BUT WAIT: At the same time, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pushing Trump to keep the war going — arguing it’s a “historic opportunity” to dismantle Iran’s regime and remove a long-term threat to the Gulf.
Trump also said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were “quite disappointed” with the idea of the U.S. negotiating a ceasefire with Iran.
Pakistan’s prime minister said Tuesday that his country is ready to host face-to-face talks.
There are concerns within the Iranian regime that face-to-face talks could be a physical trap, putting senior officials at risk after many have been killed during the nearly month-long war.
The U.S. is reportedly seeking discussions with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, one of the few senior leaders to avoid US and Israeli strikes. Publicly, Ghalibaf is denying talks altogether — and even mocking the U.S. online, saying the reported talks are an attempt to bring down oil prices. Privately, he is reportedly engaged in talks.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN OFFERED A “PRESENT”
Trump on Tuesday hinted at a major oil and gas-related concession from Iran, but declined to provide details.
“It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money, and I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize,” Trump said.
It is likely tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that typically handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil, but has been effectively shut down due to Iranian strikes on commercial vessels.
U.S. gas prices are about $3.98 on average on Tuesday, according to AAA. The price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark, was still around $100 on Tuesday, up nearly 40% since the start of the war.
WHAT THE U.S. WANTS
Outside of bringing oil prices down, Trump is saying the top U.S. priority is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and on Monday, he said, Iran has “agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon.”