President Donald Trump revived speculation over regime change in Iran Tuesday night, openly asking when Iranians would "rise up and fight" as his administration intensified military and economic pressure on a government US officials say is increasingly vulnerable."I'm not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table," Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday."I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing.""They are just playing out the inevitable," Trump added.
"When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"IRAN REGIME CHANGE TALK RESURFACES AS TRUMP SAYS TEHRAN 'WANTS TO MEET' AMID US STRIKESIn this photo obtained by The Associated Press, protesters chant slogans during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan.8, 2026.
(UGC via AP)Trump did not explicitly call for the overthrow of Iran's government, and the White House has not publicly announced a policy of U.S.-led regime change.But his appeal to the Iranian population comes as the administration increasingly portrays Tehran as approaching an internal breaking point.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarification Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Iran as being in a "death spiral" during remarks Monday, arguing that economic pressure was rapidly narrowing the government's options."They are panicked.They are resorting to kinetic because they are getting squeezed economically," Bessent said told Ed Lawrence on Fox Business.COULD IRAN’S REGIME COLLAPSE? EXPERTS ASSESS BESSENT’S BID TO SEVER FINANCIAL LIFELINESProtesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on Jan.
9, 2026.(Social Media/via Reuters)Bessent said Iran could eventually face one of three outcomes: "Either the IRGC are going to turn on each other, the people are going to turn on them, or they are going to co...