Trump says Iran regime change would be 'the best thing that could happen'

President Donald Trump said Friday that regime change in Iran would be "the best thing that could happen," marking one of his clearest endorsements for replacing the government led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Speaking to reporters after visiting troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Trump criticized decades of diplomatic engagement with Iran. "For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives," he said.

Trump declined to specify who he wants to lead Iran but noted "there are people" who could take over. When asked directly if he wanted the overthrow of Iran's therical government, the president responded: "Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen."

The comments come as Trump has continued to threaten military action against Iran over its nuclear program. Trump said he wanted Iran to agree to the complete abandonment of its uranium enrichment program, which Tehran has refused to do, insisting its radioactive research is for electricity generation and not atomic weapons development.

The U.S. is simultaneously applying military pressure in the region. Trump announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest warship and the newest U.S. aircraft carrier, will relocate "very soon" from the Caribbean to the Middle East. This marks the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the region as the administration seeks to pressure Iran into securing a nuclear deal.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not yet responded to Trump's latest remarks. U.S. officials have acknowledged that ousting Khamenei would be significantly more complex than the military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. In January, the New York Times reported that Trump was considering whether regime change would be a viable military option.