Sen. Steve Daines Says Regime Change Is The Best Long-term Plan In Iran

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican believes that authorities alteration is nan champion semipermanent "solution" successful Iran arsenic a vulnerable ceasefire betwixt nan Islamic Republic and Israel continues to hold.

The truce betwixt Israel and Iran came precocious past month, and truthful acold has put a clasp connected nan fighting that took spot complete nan people of 12 days successful nan region, which began erstwhile nan Jewish State struck Iranian targets connected June 13. It culminated successful a U.S. onslaught connected Iranian atomic sites pinch bunker-busters successful an cognition greenlit by President Donald Trump.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who serves connected nan Senate Foreign Relations Committee and antecedently held a position arsenic chair of nan Senate GOP's run arm, told Fox News Digital that he is cautiously optimistic that nan truce will hold, but warned that Iran’s deep-seated aggression towards Israel could beryllium nan ceasefire’s undoing — unless a caller authorities took over.

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Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., seen present connected Jan. 15, 2025, believes that authorities alteration successful Iran would beryllium nan solution to nan existent conflict successful nan region. ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"I'm of nan sentiment that nan longer-term solution successful Iran is going to beryllium authorities change," Daines said. "Because until you person a authorities that recognizes nan legitimacy of nan Jewish authorities of Israel and their correct to exist, and believes that Israel should not beryllium destroyed, I don't deliberation we're going to bring nan bid that we need, that we each aspire to spot betwixt Iran, Israel and, frankly, successful nan Middle East."

Daines' sentiment comes up of an expected gathering betwixt Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Monday astatine nan White House. 

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President Donald Trump is joined by Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Vice President JD Vance during a gathering successful nan Oval Office of nan White House connected Feb. 4, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

There is simply a bipartisan push betwixt Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to further limb Israel pinch B-2 bombers and bunker-busting bombs, but astir lawmakers, including Daines, don't judge that nan U.S. should get progressive successful toppling nan existent authorities and installing a caller one.

The U.S. was progressive successful authorities alteration successful nan state successful nan 1950s, erstwhile then-Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was removed and nan doorway was opened for Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to return power of Iran. In 1979, nan Islamic Revolution took place, which removed Pahlavi from powerfulness and saw nan commencement of nan existent regime.

Daines based on that immoderate alteration must travel from within, because "otherwise, it's conscionable a matter of clip earlier that authorities would suffer its legitimacy."

"Regime alteration is risky because you whitethorn extremity up pinch thing worse than what you have," Daines said. "Now successful this case, nan barroom is group awfully debased successful Iran, but you could get an balanced type of philosophy, aliases possibly thing a small better."

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On June 21, nan United States struck Iranian atomic sites astatine Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. President Donald Trump said nan cognition near Iran’s atomic enrichment installations "obliterated." (Fox News)

"I deliberation we request to person a authorities that recognizes that Iran and their semipermanent prosperity will beryllium tied to increasing person to nan West and being an state of nan West and not being an state of China, Russia, North Korea," he continued.

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"A ceasefire is not nan end. It's a means. A ceasefire conscionable says, ‘OK, we're still astatine war, but we're not going to sprout for a while.’ That's what a ceasefire is," Daines said. "A lasting bid will beryllium erstwhile nan Iranian activity recognizes nan legitimacy of Israel arsenic a Jewish state."

"Until that happens, I deliberation Iran will stay a threat, peculiarly if nan regime, whether it's nan existent authorities aliases a authorities that changed that has a akin ideology arsenic nan existent regime, that Israel must beryllium destroyed," he continued. "That is not a serene outcome. That's conscionable delaying what could beryllium a early improvement of atomic capabilities and immoderate benignant of a first onslaught by Iran, either against Israel aliases against nan United States."