President Donald Trump has stressed that the United States should avoid meddling in Iran’s internal affairs, particularly when it comes to regime change. During an interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David on October 17, Trump was asked about restoring the monarchy of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran. He responded by saying, “We can’t get totally involved in all that. We can’t run ourselves, let’s face it,” suggesting that the U.S. should stay focused on its own issues instead of getting entangled in foreign regime changes.

Although Trump opposes direct involvement in reshaping Iran’s government, he remains firm on preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons. During his presidency, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed sanctions that severely hurt Iran’s economy, reducing its oil exports and GDP significantly. Trump stated that he wants to see Iran succeed but emphasized, “The only thing is, they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

In a separate interview with Al Arabiya, Trump reiterated his stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. While he acknowledged that the current administration might struggle to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, he affirmed that, had he remained president, such an outcome would not have occurred. Trump also expressed admiration for the Iranian people, describing them as “warm” and “great negotiators,” but warned that the country is in a vulnerable position due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.

As Iran faces pressure from its involvement with regional terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, Trump noted that the situation in the Middle East is becoming more dangerous. He tied the country’s growing instability to its role in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas but stopped short of making any detailed predictions about Iran’s future.