All articles tagged with #regime change
With the Trump-era sanctions tightening Cuba’s economic chokehold, a network of US insiders, Cuban exiles and lobbyists are vying to control the island’s assets—pushing bids to buy Sherritt’s stake, moving deals through firms like Antilles Gold and Dominari, and lining up lobbying and funding as potential post-regime opportunities emerge across energy, shipping, and food sectors.
With diplomacy stalled and the US widening sanctions to pressure Tehran, President Trump has again floated regime-change in Iran. The war has returned to cycles of strikes and retaliation, while officials say there is no substantive diplomatic effort underway and Tehran remains firmly in control. The administration aims to choke Iran’s finances and spur domestic discontent, but experts warn such pressure often harms ordinary Iranians rather than topple the regime, all set against a backdrop of midterm politics and ongoing conflict.
Six months after the first strikes on Iran, Iranian Americans in the U.S. show a deep split over the war’s aims and outcomes: some anti-regime activists see the conflict as a step toward change, while others warn of civilian harm and regional instability, with diverse diaspora experiences fueling both optimism and fear as sanctions bite and Tehran tightens controls.
Mossad Director Roman Gofman removed two senior officials tied to a clandestine plan to replace Iran's regime that was never carried out as intended. The moves are part of a broader Mossad reorganization, with the secret Mossad-CIA proposal reportedly involving Kurdish forces entering Iran under air cover and at one point noting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential leader; the plan was not implemented after being presented to Donald Trump. The officials may take other roles within the agency.
Gideon Rachman argues that Trump’s Iran policy has stalled diplomacy and is drifting back toward regime-change options, risking a costly escalation as Tehran could toll the Strait of Hormuz and expand its missile/drone capabilities. With limited appetite for ground war and dwindling US munitions, the administration may struggle to achieve meaningful gains, potentially pulling the U.S. deeper into a Middle East quagmire rather than delivering a clear victory.
New York Times and Haaretz reports claim Israel tried to recruit Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a post-regime Iran, with Mossad chief David Barnea meeting him in Hungary and backing housing and travel. The effort, which allegedly intensified as Ahmadinejad distanced himself from the regime, reportedly waned after he grew disillusioned and was later placed under IRGC custody, amid internal Israeli debate over the feasibility and timing of such a plan.
Trump blasted Haberman and Swan's Regime Change as 'Fake News' in a Truth Social post, attacking Haberman and dismissing the book's reporting, while the authors describe an increasingly insulated White House ruled by loyalty and a close inner circle, including Natalie Harp; the book also recounts anecdotes such as a document Trump allegedly showed comparing his influence to historic tyrants.
At midnight, Donald Trump blasted Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan on Truth Social over the bombshell book Regime Change, calling the reporting Fake News and insisting he won the election; the exposé portrays Trump as a late-night, sleep-deprived president with unusual habits and aging health concerns, and the book has driven strong first-day sales.
A new summer nonfiction release, Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, argues that Trump’s hubris, improvisation, and reliance on a tight inner circle undermined his second presidency, detailing episodes such as Netanyahu steering him toward war, mishandling the Epstein files, Trump’s mockery of leaders, and his personal direction of attacks on enemies with Roger Stone cited as a key confidant.
New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan discuss revelations from their book Regime Change on MS Now, saying a tiny inner circle—roughly five or six aides—really runs the Trump White House and keeps decisions and meetings under wraps. The piece highlights Trump’s nocturnal habits, decor obsessions (like carpeted bathrooms and separate bedrooms from Melania), and reports on sensitive topics from Iran to Epstein, including a tightly coordinated final meeting before the Iran war and concerns about leaked Situation Room discussions.
A Reagan Institute Summer Survey of 1,555 nationwide adults (±2.5 points) finds Americans nearly even on Iran policy: 39% back a negotiated settlement that leaves Iran’s current government in place with verifiable limits, 36% support replacing the regime, 16% favor a weakened Iran, and 8% don’t know. Democrats largely back diplomacy (52%), Republicans prefer regime change (about 50%), with MAGA Republicans at 51% for regime change. The poll accompanies the Trump administration’s 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at reducing tensions and pursuing a broader nuclear deal.
According to The New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the book Regime Change, after the 2024 election Donald Trump mocked Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos for courting him, flaunting their fawning texts to guests. Zuckerberg reportedly sent a photo of a letter from his child praising a “golden age of America,” while Bezos disparaged The Washington Post during a Mar-a-Lago dinner and later pitched a Blue Origin/SpaceX contract angle that Trump did not pursue. The episodes show Silicon Valley’s scramble for favor and Trump’s gleeful ridicule, with Elon Musk reacting approvingly and other tech leaders also meeting with him.
Jeff Bezos reportedly told Donald Trump at a December 2024 dinner that the Washington Post was his worst investment, and a couple of months later he slashed the paper’s staff by more than 300. New excerpts from the forthcoming book Regime Change describe Bezos’ efforts to shape the Post, including blocking an endorsement of Kamala Harris, and note the paper’s roughly $100 million loss in 2024 that preceded the downsizing and added to subscriber churn.
Israel’s new Mossad chief Roman Gofman, an outsider with battlefield experience, vows to keep Iran at the heart of Mossad’s covert war and suggests the regime in Tehran remains the target beyond containment. Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and outgoing director David Barnea have framed regime change in Iran as a possible, achievable goal, signaling continuity or escalation in Israel’s Iran strategy. Analysts expect Gofman to broaden intelligence operations, deepen pressure on Iran’s proxies like Hezbollah, and expand regional covert activity, even as Tehran seeks diplomatic avenues and faces broader regional tensions around Lebanon and U.S. diplomacy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the foundations of Iran’s ruling system had cracked and the regime would eventually fall, delivering the message at a farewell ceremony for Mossad chief David Barnea as Israel maintains a hard line on Tehran amid regional tensions and U.S. diplomacy.