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May 28, 2019

Trump Says Regime Change in Iran Not the Goal After Sending 1,500 More Troops to Region
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President Trump appeared to tone down recent U.S. rhetoric against Iran
over the weekend during an official trip to Japan, saying he was not
seeking regime change in Iran and was simply interested in preventing
the country from developing nuclear weapons. Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif rebuked Trump's statements Monday, saying Iran was
not seeking nuclear arms, saying via Twitter, "#Economic Terrorism is
hurting the Iranian people & causing tension in the region. Actions-not
words-will show whether or not that's @real Donald Trump's intent." The
U.S. pulled out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year,
despite European allies and the United Nations saying Iran was in full
compliance.

On Friday, Trump said he was sending 1,500 more troops to the Middle
East, a move Zarif characterized as "dangerous" and said "must be
countered." Zarif met with his Iraqi counterpart over the weekend as
both parties urged regional cooperation in the face of escalating
tensions with the U.S. This is Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Alhakim.

Mohamed Alhakim: "We are clearly saying that we are against the
unilateral measures taken by the United States. We are completely
against these instructions and orders given to our neighbor Iran. We are
standing by neighboring Iran in its position, and, God willing, we can
play an intermediary role between the parties, if asked, from Iraq."



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