The regime in Tehran has already changed: Trump announces the imminent end of the war in Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran is now undergoing a “complete regime change,” confirming that negotiations are underway with “more moderate and more rational” leaders.

In remarks to ABC News on Tuesday, Trump said: “We now have a complete regime change in Iran, and we are holding negotiations with Iranian leaders who are more moderate and more rational.”

At a press conference at the White House on Tuesday evening, he stated that the United States would leave Iran “very soon.”

He told reporters at the White House, “We will be leaving very soon,” noting that the withdrawal could take place within two to three weeks.

This is the clearest statement Trump has made so far regarding his intention to end a war that has lasted a full month, during which it reshaped the Middle East, disrupted global energy markets, and altered the course of the Republican presidency.

Trump added that Tehran is not required to reach an agreement with Washington in order for the conflict to end.

In response to a question about whether successful diplomacy was a prerequisite for the United States to end the conflict, he replied: “No, Iran is not required to make a deal. No, they are not required to make a deal with me.”

Trump said that the condition for ending the operation is for Iran to become “completely behind,” meaning unable to possess a nuclear weapon in the near future.

“We were able to remove the first- and second-tier leadership in Iran, while the third tier is now more rational.”

While the administration has remained relatively silent about the specific Iranian figures involved in the negotiations, Trump said his administration is speaking with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Trump described the new leadership as better than what Iran previously had.

He said: “We now have a different group of people. They are in control, but they are more moderate, and I think they are more rational.”

Speaking about Ghalibaf, Trump added: “I think if you’ve noticed, he has softened his tone considerably… He is much better now.”

However, Trump also issued what appeared to be a direct threat toward Ghalibaf, saying: “We know where he lives. Let’s put it that way.”

He added: “Oil prices will go down. The stock market will go up. We had 50,000 points [on the Dow Jones Industrial Average] and 7,000 points on the S&P 500… and I said, well, I think this is a good time to do it.”

Trump also revealed that he is negotiating over the seizure of Iranian oil but did not provide further details.