President Trump declared Wednesday that he’s achieved not one but two regime changes in Iran without firing a shot, a stunning claim made during the 12th Cabinet meeting of his second term at the White House.
“One regime is gone, another regime is gone, we’re dealing with the third,” Trump told reporters. “How can you have a stronger regime change than that?”
The president said the Iranian officials he’s negotiating with now are “much more reasonable” and “smarter” than those his administration dealt with at the beginning of his term. He stressed that any nuclear deal must be comprehensive, rejecting any partial agreement that would leave Iran with a path to the bomb.
“We didn’t set out for regime change,” Trump explained, “but the fact that we’re dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning” amounts to exactly that.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the president’s hard line, emphasizing that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump drew a sharp contrast with former President Barack Obama’s approach, which critics have long argued would not have prevented Iran from eventually going nuclear.
The president also urged more Arab nations to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel.
Closer to home, the Cabinet addressed deteriorating conditions in both Venezuela and Cuba.
Rubio outlined a three-phase plan for Venezuela: stabilization, recovery, and transition. Following the U.S. extraction of dictator Nicolas Maduro, acting President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed control of the country. Since Jan. 3, more than 10 million barrels of Venezuelan oil have been delivered to the United States and sold on the global market.
“For the first time ever, the money’s not being stolen,” Rubio said, noting that revenue is finally benefiting the Venezuelan people rather than corrupt officials.
Cuba presents a far grimmer picture. The communist island is suffering roving blackouts under the weight of a U.S. oil embargo, and the regime appears unable to stabilize conditions for its people.
“Cuba’s in a lot of trouble,” Rubio said bluntly. “Being communist is bad, being an incompetent communist is, like, the worst.”
The secretary of state didn’t lay out specific plans but warned that a failed state 90 miles from American shores poses a direct national security threat. “We want something good for the Cuban people,” he added.
Trump celebrated American energy dominance, boasting that the U.S. is “producing right now more oil, by double, than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined.”
The meeting was originally scheduled for Camp David in Maryland but was moved to the White House due to what the president described as “possible bad weather conditions.”
The Cabinet gathering also included a moment of gratitude for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who announced last week she would resign to care for family.
“Tulsi, we’re praying for you and for your husband,” Trump said, praising her work to “restore trust and focus” within the intelligence community.
The meeting marked Trump’s continued emphasis on projecting American strength abroad while addressing threats in the Western Hemisphere. With Iran negotiations ongoing and Cuba teetering, the administration appears focused on reshaping the geopolitical order in ways that favor American interests and allies.
