Donald Trump has declared that a change of power in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen” as his administration considers military action against Tehran amid the deployment of a second group of aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
The comments were made shortly after Trump troops into Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and confirmed the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford. When asked about pushing for the ouster of Iran’s Islamic clergy, Trump said: “It seems like it would be the best thing that could have happened. For 47 years, they’ve talked and talked and talked.”
Although the president had recently prioritized Iran scaling back its nuclear program, he indicated Friday that this was just one aspect of the concessions the U.S. is demanding.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently met Trump in Washington, has advocated that any deal would include steps to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile program and end its funding to proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Noting that targeting Tehran’s nuclear program, which suffered setbacks amid U.S. military strikes last year, Trump said, “If we do it, it would be the least of the mission.” Iran continues to insist that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, even though it purified uranium up to 60 percent before a conflict in June.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is being deployed from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East to reinforce other warships and military assets already in the region. The deployment comes days after Trump hinted at a new round of talks with Iran, which failed to materialize despite Tehran’s security officials exchanging messages with US intermediaries in Oman and Qatar. “In the event that we don’t make a deal, we’re going to need it,” Trump told reporters about the second airline, adding: “It will be leaving very soon.”
Gulf states have warned that any attack could spark a new regional conflict in a Middle East still grappling with the war between Israel and Hamas. Internally, Iranians are observing 40 days of mourning ceremonies for those killed in the bloody crackdown on last month’s nationwide protests, increasing pressure on the sanctions-hit Islamic Republic.
The Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its guided missile destroyers, which have been in the region for more than two weeks. US forces recently shot down an Iranian drone approaching the Lincoln on the same day Iran tried to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the military buildup, Trump offered measured hope for a deal, saying, “Give us the deal they should have given us the first time. If they give us the right deal, we won’t.”
The Ford’s new assignment marks a quick turnaround after it was deployed from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean last October as part of a military presence that led to the arrest of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The move appears to contradict the government’s national security strategy, which emphasizes the Western Hemisphere. The US Southern Command confirmed that its forces would continue to combat “illegal activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere,” with spokesman Col. Emanuel Ortiz stating: “While the force evolves, our operational capability does not change.”
The Ford strike group will add more than 5,000 troops to the Middle East, effectively doubling the aircraft and ammunition available to military planners. Given its current position, it will likely take weeks for the Ford to reach Iran’s shores. Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to force Iran to curb its nuclear program and over its crackdown on protests. Indirect talks in Oman a week ago collapsed, with Trump warning Tehran that failure to reach an agreement would be “very traumatic.” Similar talks failed last year, leading to a 12-day war and US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Asked about new negotiations, Trump said: “I think they will be successful. And if they aren’t, it will be a bad day for Iran, very bad.”
The USS Ford, which made its first departure in late June 2025, means the crew will soon be deployed for eight months. While the length of the stay in the Middle East is unclear, the move signals an unusually long deployment. The Navy’s top officer, Admiral Daryl Caudle, previously stated that extending the Ford’s time at sea would be “very disruptive” and that he was “a big not fan of extensions.”
Carriers typically operate for six to seven months. Admiral Caudle noted that crossing this “disrupts lives, disrupts things…funerals that were planned, weddings that were planned, babies that were planned.” He added that expanding the Ford would complicate maintenance, disrupt repair schedules and increase wear and tear. By comparison, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s nine-month deployment to the Middle East in 2023 and 2024, during which Houthi rebels were engaged, resulted in the planned maintenance completion date being exceeded. Admiral Caudle has expressed a preference for deploying smaller, newer ships over consistently relying on large aircraft carriers.
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