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Trump Insists Iran War Is ‘Regime Change’ in Morning Call with CNBC’s Joe Kernen
Mediaite ^ | March 23, 2026 | Ahmad Austin, Jr.

Posted on 03/23/2026 7:15:34 AM PDT by Miami Rebel

President Donald Trump on Monday told CNBC’s Joe Kernen that Iran is in the process of regime change following his latest talks with the country.

Moments before their phone call, Trump revealed in a Truth Social post that he had “productive conversations” with Iranian leadership. As a result of those conversations, the president said, there would be a temporary halt to military strikes on Iranian targets. Operation Epic Fury, the operation that began the war in Iran three weeks ago, killed more than four dozen members of the Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran, however, said “there has been no direct or indirect contact” with Trump and denied his claims that there were talks.

Following the death of the supreme leader, it was announced that Mojtaba Khamenei — Ali’s son —had been chosen to succeed him. The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that Mojtaba was seriously wounded in a strike and that his current status is unknown.

Although Mojtaba’s reign was widely considered a continuation of his father’s, Trump insisted the country was undergoing regime change as a result of the war. Reporting on his call with the president, Kernen said:

"I just spoke to the President. President Trump said the discussions have been very good over the last 48 hours, very intense discussions. I said, 'Well, with whom?' I thought, you know, there aren’t a lot of leaders left alive. He said they have representatives. Obviously, that’s been one of the things that Iran has tried to say, that we’ve got a structure more than any one person.

"The President went on to say, or insist, that this is regime change because it’s totally different people that were involved in the last regime. I would imagine some of the people are the same. This is the president’s take on that, insisting that it’s regime change. He went on to say great meetings, great conversations, and hopes that within the next five days something very substantive can be arrived at for the end of hostilities."


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: disruptorkywrdtroll; dukeywordtroll; iran; lookatallthetrolls; lookattheignorance; nevertrumpkywrdtroll; regimechange; taco; tdskeywordtroll; whynotzottrolls; wonthappen
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To: DesertRhino
A lot of this was a “fake it till you make it” regime change on the part of Trump and NetanYAYhoo.

It may have that appearance, but there's more to it than that. First of all, these war plans have existed for the past 40 years, and have been constantly upgraded. Iran was always a target.

Obviously none of us are in the White House, but Trump believes he can resolve this once-and-for all.. I imagine Trump/Pentagon planners view is that iimmediate "regime change" would have been a nice bonus, but it was not expected.

The goal was to put Persian Gulf oil under US administration and control via Hormuz, and to decapitate, isolate and degrade Iran's regime to the point where it can be put in an even tighter box. That has been achieved.

The war is not over at all. It may calm down for a period, but If any new IRGC leaders come are found, they will be targeted. Iran will continue to launch missiles etc... but the vice is being slowly tightened.

41 posted on 03/23/2026 8:41:14 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: nuconvert

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Bagher_Ghalibaf

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is leading the talks with the United States, a source told The Jerusalem Post.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890907


42 posted on 03/23/2026 8:42:39 AM PDT by AdmSmith (GCTGATATGTCTATGATTACTCAT)
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To: Miami Rebel

The shah is Trump’s Iranian “María Corina Machado”. He’ been looking for his Iranian “Delcy Rodriguez”. He thinks he may have found him.


43 posted on 03/23/2026 8:51:47 AM PDT by marron
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To: Uncle Miltie

I would think that the Mossad could answer your first question. I have no idea about the second question.


44 posted on 03/23/2026 8:58:12 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. )
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To: Uncle Miltie

Not necessary. Just ship in tens of millions of small arms, pistols. An armed populace cannot be oppressed. Any IRGC DBag going home at end of day needs to fear every dark alley. A couple of ORGC officers have already been removed in just that manner.


45 posted on 03/23/2026 9:09:45 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: Uncle Miltie

I obviously don’t know anything. But my view is that Trump believes the marines will ultimately be “invited” in. The marines are now in residence at Camp Tiuna, the very base we attacked when we took Maduro. Our FBI are on the ground working with Venezuela’s “FBI” and have already made arrests with their collaboration. I think this is the model for what he is hoping to achieve in Iran, whether it works or not.


46 posted on 03/23/2026 9:13:07 AM PDT by marron
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To: Uncle Miltie

Nope... not at all. I pray for their salvation and care about them. Nazis were sick and evil. I’m disgusted by the moslem Jew-hate on campuses in America. But the Likud regime is violent and evil. But the worst sin of the nation-state of Israel is how it deals with America. It has become arrogant, rude and entitled.

The Epstein Mossad spy ring is a shameful episode. The affectionate welcome Bibi gave Jonathan Pollard was a disgrace. Adelson flying him to Israel for free on a bizjet was treasonous. Bribing a majority of Congress is sickening.

Shlomo Kramer said we need to gut the first Amendment.

“You’re seeing the polarization in countries that allow for the First Amendment and protect it, which is great. And I know it’s difficult to hear, but it’s time to limit the First Amendment in order to protect it,” he said. “And quickly before it’s too late.”

When asked what he meant by this, Kramer advocated government control of social media.

“I mean that we need to control the platforms, all the social platforms. We need to stack, rank the authenticity of every person that expresses themselves online and take control over what they are saying, based on that ranking,” he said.”

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/israeli-tech-ceo-calls-us-govt-limit-first-amendment-take-control-social-media-prevent-lies

Then Tom Alexandrovich, Israel National Cyber Directorate director was arrested as a pedophile and allowed to find refuge in Israel, which will not extradite a pedo.

So despite your lazy slander, I am NOT an anti-semite. But the Israeli government has become arrogant and abusive to America. It does not support freedom here in America, is not a friend of America, and needs to be -firmly- reminded of it’s place.

I am sickened by the innocent Israeli people being killed by the missiles. But face facts. Israel is conducted ethnic cleansing in Gaza. They say so openly. They are annexing half of Lebanon and bombing Beirut in residential areas. They supported ISIS and attacked Syrians arrayed against them. They were successful in making Syria a failed state with an ISIS leader. Chaos next door is good for them.

It’s sophomoric to say that a person is a Jew hater if they dislike the current Israeli government and Intelligence formations. It would be like saying if someone detests Jesse Jackson, Jasmine Crockett and Obama... they hate black Americans.

Time to wake up guy...a person can be fine with Jewish people, oppose people who put Israel ahead of America, and detest this Netanyahu scheme. Hell, half of Israel opposes him. This war largely him finding ways to avoid his court case at home. Is half the country opposing him anti-semitic also? Get real...


47 posted on 03/23/2026 9:17:49 AM PDT by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: volare737

“Maybe, I am wrong, but I just am not aware of any rational people in the IRGC.”

Nope... none at all. So on one side, Iranians have us and Israel constantly assassinating their “pope” and leaders, bombing constantly...and committed IRGC looking for any uprisings, and Iran cutting off almost all telecoms and internet at home... it’s hard to see how an uprising happens.
That was my point.


48 posted on 03/23/2026 9:21:59 AM PDT by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: volare737

Yes. No.


49 posted on 03/23/2026 9:24:43 AM PDT by Miami Rebel (RE)
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To: Sequoyah101

“I expect the Iranians to lie but why would they lie about NOT having talks with Trump?”

Why? They would do that so the IRGC would not instantly murder them as a traitor. If you were an Iranian in a position of power, you’d definitely lie that you were talking to the Americans until such a time that it was a done deal, and you could safely step out on top in the spotlight.

I would think almost nobody can openly talk to us at the moment without a near guarantee the IRGC would kill them by the end of the day. A lot of those IRGC guys are riding the tiger. If they fall off, they are dead.


50 posted on 03/23/2026 9:30:33 AM PDT by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: odawg

Nope, Trump said they were close to having the material necessary to make the bomb.

6 months ago, he said all the nuclear scientists were dead, and that he destroyed the nuclear program under a collapsed mountain. Was he wrong then, or wrong now?

Time to face facts, he is easily swayed by Israelis, and he is pretty much accepting of what the most recent thing he heard was.


51 posted on 03/23/2026 9:34:22 AM PDT by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: rlmorel

Guilty (of whatever you imagine,)

Hey, did I misremember President Trump saying that anything short of unconditional surrender would be unacceptable? Perhaps it was a hallucination or some Mediaite Fake News.


52 posted on 03/23/2026 9:37:11 AM PDT by Miami Rebel (RE)
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To: CivilWarBrewing

“...so why does THIS article state in the second paragraph that ALL military strikes have been stopped?”

That’s easy: because it’s yet another example (of the billions that are out there) of the media 1) not knowing the truth and/or 2) not caring about the truth.


53 posted on 03/23/2026 9:37:57 AM PDT by BB62
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

Yeah! You are soooooo right!

I pine for the days of the oh-so-competant Crooked, Addled, Sleepy Joe or “Bartender, Fetch Me Another One!” Harris...

/s /s /s


54 posted on 03/23/2026 9:41:11 AM PDT by BB62
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To: Miami Rebel

Like all negotiating in the “Art of the Deal”—that was his opening position.


55 posted on 03/23/2026 9:41:34 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. )
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To: DesertRhino

“...and he is pretty much accepting of what the most recent thing he heard was.”

Are you a multi-billionaire and former president, since according to your logic, you should be at least as accomplished as he is, seeing your much greater widom, intelligence and discipline.

Do you think he could have gotten where he is by being that stupid?

However, that is a very old insult and you are too stupid to come up with anything on your own.


56 posted on 03/23/2026 9:42:15 AM PDT by odawg
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To: Uncle Miltie

Last I heard, it was buried under that collapsed cave the B-2 hit with penetrators. -Surely- we are monitoring ALL activity at that site with an unblinking eye for excavation etc.

And I’d expect that going into that mess and getting the material would be a terrible radioactive mess. I’m imagining a blown up lab buried in rubble and damaged equipment...
I think people have an unrealistic idea that some commandos can show up and pick up a Pelican case with 60 pounds of HEU and leave.

I would bet this place is much closer to needing a giant concrete sarcophagus like the Runit Dome on Bikini Atoll.


57 posted on 03/23/2026 9:43:18 AM PDT by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: volare737

This isn’t some real estate deal in Manhattan. This is staking the military and political assets of the world’s greatest power to the words of its Commander-in-Chief.


58 posted on 03/23/2026 9:44:32 AM PDT by Miami Rebel (RE)
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To: Miami Rebel

I know, it was just my over-the-top sarcasm


59 posted on 03/23/2026 9:45:56 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. )
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To: Miami Rebel
As a result of those conversations, the president said, there would be a temporary halt to military strikes on Iranian targets.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Do NOT surrender, Mr. President, when you've got them by the short hairs! STOP! This is like ordering Patton to stop when he's already at the Rhine. Resume bombing IMMEDIATELY, Mr. President!!! If Iran wants to discuss their terms of surrender that's fine, but DO NOT STOP THE BOMBING UNTIL THE AYATOLLAHS AGREE TO GIVE UP POWER!!!

60 posted on 03/23/2026 9:47:42 AM PDT by libertylover (The HBM (Has Been Media) is almost all AGENDA-DRIVEN and HATE-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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