Trump: The Possibility of the Fall of the Iranian Government Due to U.S. Policies

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated in an interview with Bloomberg News published on Friday that there is currently even a possibility of the fall of the Islamic Republic due to 'his government's policies.' Mr. Trump referred to his administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, as one of the policies that could lead to the collapse of the Islamic Republic. In this interview, conducted on Thursday at the White House, he said about Iran: 'When I came here, the question was when they [the Islamic Republic] would take over the Middle East. Now the question is whether they will even last. For a year and a half [of Trump's administration], this is a big difference.' Bloomberg reports that Mr. Trump did not elaborate further on this. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran and six world powers on May 8 of this year, Washington announced that it would reinstate sanctions against Iran. Donald Trump had previously stated multiple times that Iran, due to its 'destabilizing' actions in the Middle East, including missile activities and support for regional militias, was not actually adhering to the spirit of the JCPOA. In this context, on August 6, Mr. Trump signed an order announcing that part of the sanctions against the Islamic Republic, which had been suspended after the nuclear agreement was reached, would be re-implemented. The second round of these sanctions, which primarily targets Iran's oil industry, is set to take effect on November 4, and U.S. officials say they are working to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero by that time. However, even before the second round of sanctions began and even during the first round, Iran's economy has faced significant turmoil, leading to increased inflation, a plummeting rial, and the price of the U.S. dollar reaching even 12,000 tomans in Iran. This market turmoil, alongside public protests over rising prices and poor living conditions, has put significant pressure on Hassan Rouhani's government. The recent comments by the U.S. President regarding the possibility of the 'regime's collapse' come at a time when at least two U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, have emphasized that the U.S. government is not seeking regime change in Iran. Mr. Trump has even proposed direct talks and negotiations with Islamic Republic officials several times, a proposal that Ayatollah Khamenei has officially rejected. In this context, Hassan Rouhani says that the U.S. will regret imposing sanctions. Mogherini: Encouraging increased trade with Iran is vital to preserving the JCPOA. Khamenei: I made a mistake regarding the JCPOA negotiations; I will prohibit negotiations with the U.S. The people of Iran have a message: We will take our country back. Bolton: The return of sanctions has had a powerful impact on Iran's economy and public opinion. The changing landscape of 'proxy wars'; a war against the people in the streets of Iran. The Iranian crisis; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis.