‘Just a question’: White House responds to Trump post

One of Donald Trump’s senior officials has said there is a diplomatic solution to Iran despite the US president floating regime change.

Donald Trump has urged Iranians to overthrow their government if it refuses to negotiate on its nuclear program, but the US president is “still interested” in diplomacy.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke about the US’ strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on Monday morning, US time.

She said Mr Trump had “prevented a nuclear conflict” with his actions and that no other president had “the guts” to carry out Saturday’s mission.

Following the strikes on the weekend, American officials were at pains to say the US’ main target was Iran’s nuclear production sites and not the theocratic regime.

However, in social media posts, Mr Trump has floated the possibility that Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei could be ousted.

“If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” he wrote on Sunday, without explicating saying the US would help in such an endeavour.

Talking to reporters on Monday, Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump was “simply raising a question” about whether Iran’s dictatorship should remain.

US President Donald Trump speaking from the White House on June 21, following the announcement that the US bombed nuclear sites in Iran. Picture: Carlos Barria/AFP

“But as far as far as our military posture, it has not been changed,” she added.

Later, talking to Fox News, she insisted Mr Trump wanted a diplomatic solution.

“If the Iranian regime refuses to come to a peaceful diplomatic solution, which the president is still interested and engaging in, by the way, why shouldn’t the Iranian people take away the power of this incredibly violent regime that has been suppressing them for decades?” she said.

Ms Leavitt heaped praise on her boss and his “guts”.

“Presidents dating back to Democrat Bill Clinton have said that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon, but none of them had the courage to actually do something about it,” she said.

“This is an operation that presidents of the past have dreamt about, but no president had the guts to actually do it, but President Trump did to take away this imminent threat not just to the State of Israel, but to the United States and the rest of the world.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at the White House on Monday. Picture: AP/Evan Vucci

Trump prevented ‘nuclear conflict’

While some have feared that the US’ actions could lead to escalators actions and that Iran may still possess the ability to create a nuclear weapon, Ms Leavitt was bullish.

“(The US) is a safer place today because of the President’s bold action, and he has prevented a nuclear conflict.

“He has prevented a rogue radical regime from obtaining a nuclear bomb and threatening our people.

“Nobody knows what it means to accomplish peace through strength better than President Trump.

“He is the one who came up with that motto and that foreign policy doctrine, and he successfully implemented it in his first term, and this is one of many steps he is taking to successfully implement peace in his second term”.

Ms Leavitt said that Mr Trump wanted a “peaceful and prosperous Middle East”.

Originally published as ‘Just a question’: White House responds to Trump post