Trump and Hegseth reverse no-regime-change pledge within days of Iran war start

By March 2, 2026, Trump administration officials had publicly contradicted their own earlier pledges against regime change in Iran. On February 28, Trump told Iranians on national television "This will be probably your only chance for generations" — a direct call for uprising. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth then said on March 2 "This is not a so-called regime change war." Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately claimed the operation had "nothing to do with the leadership." Senator Mark Warner said the war's stated goals had shifted "four or five times" within days.