Trump: 'Seems like regime change in Iran would be the best thing that could happen'
'For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off'
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to endorse the idea of the overthrow of the Islamic regime in Iran, telling reporters it "seems like that would be the best thing that could happen," as Washington continues to up its military presence in the region.
“Seems like [regime change in Iran] would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off," he told reporters.
"We've been going on for a long time. So let's see what happens. Who would you want to take over? Tremendous power has arrived, and additional power, as you know, and other carriers going out shortly, so we'll see it now, if we could get it settled for once.”
Earlier on Friday Trump confirmed that Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and brutal crackdown on dissent that ended with tens of thousands dead. Earlier this week he warned that the alternative to a diplomatic solution would "be very traumatic, very traumatic."