Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Sunday backed overthrowing Iran's government, hours after his own administration insisted that the US operation targeting Iranian nuclear facilities overnight did not aim at regime change.

"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???" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Earlier on Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told journalists at the Pentagon that the unprecedented assault on nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow was carried out to eliminate the supposed threat to US interests posed by Iran's civilian nuclear program, and not to topple the ruling regime.

"The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally Israel," Hegseth said.

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Vice President JD Vance also claimed that Iran's nuclear program was the target. "We are not at war with Iran, we are at war with Iran's nuclear program," he told NBC on Sunday.

A significant part of Trump's coalition, with Florida Senator Ted Cruz a typical example, has also loudly cheered for the possible removal of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran on June 13. It initially said it aims to prevent the country from building a nuclear weapon, even as Tehran was engaged in negotiations with the US to secure an agreement over its program. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since made no secret that his ultimate objective is the elimination of Iran's government.

There is widespread consensus, even among US intelligence agencies, that Iran was not actively pursuing the development of nuclear weapons when Israel triggered the war.

Iran has retaliated to the assault with waves of missile and drone strikes on Israel.