"If the current Iranian regime cannot make Iran great again, why not regime change?" US President Donald Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social. His post contradicts what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Washington on Sunday.

Trump's statement strongly resembles the policies of George W. Bush. He launched a war for regime change in Iraq, also under the pretext of the threat of weapons of mass destruction. As a result, hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed, and the emerging terrorist organizations further fueled the civil war in Syria.

Trump's remarks also heighten concerns that the Americans could expand their intervention in Iran, sparking an even larger conflict. And the regime is listening with heightened attention, experts say.

“Despite all the things that Ali Khamenei probably wants to avenge, like the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and the attacks by Israel and the United States, he wants to avoid any disruption to the succession process. To avoid the threat of handing over the revolution to his successor or successors. So he has to calibrate Iran’s response very carefully,” explained Aaron David Miller, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Kremlin announced that Putin will meet with Iran's foreign minister on Monday. It is unclear whether the Iranians will consult with the Russian president on their response to the American strikes. In Europe, it was striking that none of the leaders of the major countries commented on whether the American operation did not violate international law. In Paris, London and Berlin, they were content with statements that the escalation was undesirable. But no one criticized Trump for the risky move that could affect everyone.

"We call on everyone to refrain from escalation. I am convinced that no strictly military response will have the desired effect. The resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations is the only way to achieve the goal we all strive for - that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, but also that there is no uncontrolled escalation in the region," said French President Emmanuel Macron.

At the same time, it remains unclear what damage the bombings and missile strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities have caused. Despite the loud statements of Donald Trump and the defense secretary, no one knows whether the Iranians still possess the hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium that the International Atomic Energy Agency reports. Just as no one can say whether the nuclear program has other, secret centers that have not been affected by the American strikes.

Satellite images show significant damage to Iran's nuclear facilities, which were bombed by the United States on Sunday morning. Parts of the facilities in Natanz and Isfahan are above ground, where the traces of the explosions are more visible.

Almost the entire Fordow complex is deep underground, and satellite imagery cannot tell what the results of the bombing were. On Sunday, the U.S. military said Fordow was the primary target. Both President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth have declared Iran’s nuclear program destroyed. But no one knows whether the hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium Tehran has stored were affected by the strikes. The Iranians say they emptied the complex before the bombing.

“The US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities mark a dangerous turn in an already volatile region. Since the beginning of the crisis, I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The world is safer and more stable today than it was . And many of these countries that are issuing statements condemning us, in private conversations agree with us. They need such statements for public purposes, but the only people in the world who are unhappy with what happened in Iran are the people of the regime there,” emphasized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

► The Strait of Hormuz is about to close

“The parliament is moving the issue to another body, which includes 20 of the most senior Iranians. They must make a final decision. This is a radical response. If they close the strait, they will disrupt not only the oil exports of the Arab countries in the Gulf, but also their own exports. 90% of Iranian oil passes through the strait,” comments NOVA international editor Momchil Minkov.

► Does Iran have the resources to attack American bases?

"In theory, this is possible. The missiles that hit Israel are technically capable of attacking American bases. However, they are unlikely to cause serious damage, and what they would bring upon themselves would be even more devastating. Perhaps the wisest move at the moment is to do nothing," Minkov added.