Former President Donald Trump reignited speculation about regime change in Iran Tuesday night, asking when the Iranian people would "rise up and fight." His remarks coincided with intensified U.S. military and economic pressure on the Iranian government.
"I'm not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing."
Trump did not explicitly call for the overthrow of Iran's government, and the White House has not announced a policy of U.S.-led regime change. However, his appeal to the Iranian population follows administration portrayals of Tehran as nearing an internal breaking point.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Iran as being in a "death spiral" on Monday, asserting that economic pressure was rapidly narrowing the government's options. "They are panicked. They are resorting to kinetic because they are getting squeezed economically," Bessent said.
Bessent outlined three potential outcomes for Iran: "Either the IRGC are going to turn on each other, the people are going to turn on them, or they are going to come to the table and want to do a deal that they can stick with." He added, "They are in the death throes," comparing Iran's deterioration to bankruptcy.
Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Treasury sanctions official, told Fox News Digital that Washington does not need to choose between invading Iran or striking another agreement. "It's very clear U.S. government is not in the business of regime change anymore," Maleki said. "And I think it's very clear that we're not going to have boots on the ground to invade Iran. And I don't think we need that."
Instead, Maleki advocated for Washington to "contain this regime, cut off its economic lifelines, empower the Iranian people" and prepare for further domestic demonstrations. "We need to be prepared to support the Iranian people in a way that they can be empowered and take the government back," he said, emphasizing the importance of ensuring internet access for protesters.
Maleki described Iran's leadership as its weakest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and argued that further Iranian military escalation could deepen its vulnerability. Reports of localized economic protests continue to emerge from within Iran.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an exiled Iranian opposition coalition, claimed Tuesday that workers, retirees, drivers, and job-seeking youth demonstrated in several cities on August 31. The group alleged that security forces opened fire on job seekers in Gachsaran and Ahvaz and reported separate demonstrations over unpaid wages, inflation, fuel shortages, and working conditions. These specific claims have not been independently verified.
Iran analyst Benny Sabti also told Fox News Digital that deteriorating living conditions could catalyze broader unrest. "People are hungry," Sabti said, predicting that Iranians would "take the streets again." He argued that economic desperation could eventually outweigh fear of the government's security apparatus.
The political stakes are rising alongside military actions. U.S. forces conducted strikes Tuesday against Iranian air-defense systems, radar installations, maritime assets, and mine-laying capabilities, according to U.S. Central Command. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against U.S. assets in the region.
For Trump, the Tuesday post suggested the question may no longer be solely whether economic pressure compels Tehran back to negotiations, but also what will occur within Iran if it does not.