Trump shifts toward regime change in Iran, but by other means

The Trump administration is now 181 days into what began as Operation Epic Fury, which later transitioned into a forever ceasefire on day 38.

President Trump has tried unsuccessfully to use the military and diplomatic instruments of national power to bring this war to a conclusion, but a resilient Islamic Republic of Iran has withstood them.

And now he has turned to the economic instrument of national power, in the form of sanctions — supported by a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

Last Wednesday on Truth Social Trump promised an “Economic D-Day,” vowing to wield “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale” against Iran.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that Washington expected its allies and rivals to join the ramped-up campaign against Iran. “This is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world. And we are going to them and saying you are either with us or against us.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the threat as a distraction and said it would backfire.

China said U.S. “sanctions and pressure” would not resolve the Iranian war. Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said “all relevant parties [need] to take responsible measures and resolve the problem through political and diplomatic means.”

But the White House still does not know who the relevant parties are within the Iranian regime. They tried Araghchi and the Speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. They even tried backdoor negotiations with Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi.

But is Trump’s Economic D-Day just regime change repackaged?

Since the onset of Operations........

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