President Donald Trump has demanded a regime change in Iran after the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollahi Ali Khamenei, rejected calls to surrender following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Prior to American strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, in an operation named ‘Midnight Hammer’ on Saturday, Mr Trump had said his administration was not interested in regime change in Iran but destruction of its nuclear capabilities.

Following the completion of the operation, which was said to have ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear facilities, Mr Trump has now revealed that he is not ruling out the possibility of a regime change after Mr Khamenei rejected the calls from Western leaders to return to the negotiating table.

Mr Trump noted that it is politically incorrect to call Saturday’s action against Iran a process for regime change at the moment, adding that such action could become necessary if the country does not end its pursuit of nuclear power.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term ‘Regime Change’, but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!,” Mr Trump posted on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government has vowed to respond to the United States’ aggression appropriately, stating that the country reserves the right to defend its sovereignty amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

“‎The U.S. military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state — carried out in collusion with the genocidal Israeli regime — once again laid bare the depth of depravity that governs American foreign policy and revealed the extent of hostility harboured by the U.S. ruling establishment against the peace-seeking and independence-loving people of Iran,” the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry added, “‎The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolved to defend Iran’s territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force and means against the United States’ criminal aggression.”