Reuters: Trump plans to strike Iran to provoke new protests and change the government

President of the United States Donald Trump is considering a new strike on Iran to revive the protests and help overthrow the current regime. About reported Reuters anonymous sources with knowledge of the discussions.

Two US sources said that Trump allegedly wanted to create conditions for "regime change" after thousands of Iranians were killed during the crackdown on protests in early January 2026. He was considering strikes against commanders and institutions that Washington considers responsible for the violence. This allegedly gave the protesters confidence that they could seize government and security buildings.

And according to one of the American interlocutors, a larger-scale strike was also considered, presumably against ballistic missiles or uranium enrichment programs. In this case, the consequences would be more "long-term". Another interlocutor noted that the final decision on the strike has not yet been made.

Four Arab officials, three Western diplomats and a senior Western interlocutor said they were concerned about the plan. It could weaken the resistance movement after heavy losses in early January.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country is preparing for a military confrontation amid signals from Trump, but is using diplomatic channels. However, Washington is allegedly not open to diplomacy.

At the same time, a senior Israeli official believes that air strikes alone may not be enough to overthrow the current Iranian regime. Even the assassination of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may not be enough for this, as a new leader will replace him.

"If you're going to overthrow the regime, you have to bring in the troops," the official said.

The Western official noted that Trump's goal is obviously to change the leadership, not to "overthrow the regime" in Iran. This is similar to the situation in Venezuela.

• on January 18, it became known that as a result of the protests in Iran, which began at the end of 2025, 5000 people died. Among them are more than 500 law enforcement officers.
• january 28 Trump threatens Iran with a new blow and said he wanted a deal. And before that, he called Khamenei a "sick man" and called for the end of his rule.
• In Iran responded to Trump's threat the strike, Turkey has offered to facilitate a dialogue, Hürriyet reports.