Trump Open To Supporting Groups That Back Regime Change In Iran After Khamenei’s Death: Report

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 22:39 IST

Trump reportedly spoke with Kurdish leaders and continues to engage other local actors who could exploit perceived weaknesses in Tehran.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly open to supporting groups inside Iran willing to take up arms against the Iranian regime. The development comes as US-Israeli strikes continue to escalate tensions in the region following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Journal reported that Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders and continues to engage other local actors who could exploit perceived weaknesses in Tehran.

“The Kurds have a sizable force along the Iraq-Iran border, and Israel has bombed positions in western Iran, leading to speculation that it is paving a path for a Kurdish advance," the report said. The US President has not made a final decision on whether to provide arms, intelligence or training to these groups, as per the report.

This comes as Trump reiterated his hardline stance on Tehran in a Truth Social post, writing, “Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!’"

In contrast to speculation about regime change, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the primary objective of US strikes in Iran is to dismantle Tehran’s missile and nuclear capabilities.

“The objectives of this operation are to destroy their ballistic missile capability and make sure they can’t rebuild, and make sure that they can’t hide behind that to have a nuclear program," Rubio said.

While Rubio noted there were no objections to Khamenei being killed, he emphasised that US forces are not explicitly seeking a regime change.

“We would love for there to be an Iran that’s not governed by radical Shia clerics. While we would love to see a new regime, the bottom line is that no matter who governs that country a year from now, they’re not going to have these ballistic missiles and they’re not going to have these drones to threaten us," he said.

News world Trump Open To Supporting Groups That Back Regime Change In Iran After Khamenei’s Death: Report

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