WASHINGTON, January 27. /TASS/. The main objective of the Donald Trump administration’s Iran policy is to change the country's government, said US Senator Lindsay Graham (listed by Moscow as a terrorist and extremist).
"The goal is to end the regime," Graham said, adding that he had come to the conclusion after recent conversations with Trump.
According to the senator, he expects the Washington administration to take specific action to change the government in Iran.
The Middle East Eye media website reported earlier, citing a source in a Gulf country, that the US was weighing precision strikes on Iran. According to the news outlet, the strikes could come as early as this week, but that timeline could shift.
Trump said in an interview with the Axios news website on January 26 that the US had sent a "big armada" to the region, and expressed confidence that Iran was ready to engage in dialogue and make "a deal" with Washington.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated earlier that Tehran was monitoring US military activities in the Middle East, taking the necessary measures to strengthen the country’s defenses.
Unrest in Iran began on December 29 after street protests caused by rial devaluation, spreading to most major cities. The government said about 40 law enforcement officers had been killed. On January 8, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, armed terrorists appeared among the demonstrators. Iran blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the riots.