Trump Claims He Doesn’t Want Regime Change in Iran

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump claimed he wants to see a strong Iran and that he is not seeking regime change in Tehran.

Trump made the remarks Monday in Biarritz, France, where he was meeting with other leaders of the G7 group.

"I'm looking at a really good Iran, really strong, we’re not looking for regime change,” he told reporters.

He also said he was not surprised that Paris had invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

"I knew he was coming in and I respected the fact that he was coming in. And we’re looking to make Iran rich again, let them be rich, let them do well, if they want," he said.

Earlier this month, Trump chastised French President Emmanuel Macron for sending Iran "mixed signals" when he told Macron that no one was authorized to act in the role of mediator between the US and Iran.

It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to, but a report showed Macron had invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the G7 summit to meet Trump.

Meanwhile, Zarif, who arrived in Biarritz on Sunday at the official invitation of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, continued consultations on the recent initiatives proposed by Rouhani and Macron.

According to a French presidency official, Zarif and Le Drian discussed what conditions would de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran.