Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., seen here on Jan. 15, 2025, believes that regime change in Iran would be the solution to the current conflict in the region. ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"I'm of the opinion that the longer-term solution in Iran is going to be regime change," Daines said. "Because until you have a regime that recognizes the legitimacy of the Jewish state of Israel and their right to exist, and believes that Israel should not be destroyed, I don't think we're going to bring the peace that we need, that we all aspire to see between Iran, Israel and, frankly, in the Middle East."
Daines' sentiment comes ahead of an expected meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at the White House.
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On June 21, the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. President Donald Trump said the operation left Iran’s nuclear enrichment installations "obliterated." (Fox News)
"I think we need to have a regime that recognizes that Iran and their long-term prosperity will be tied to growing closer to the West and being an ally of the West and not being an ally of China, Russia, North Korea," he continued.
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"A ceasefire is not the end. It's a means. A ceasefire just says, ‘OK, we're still at war, but we're not going to shoot for a while.’ That's what a ceasefire is," Daines said. "A lasting peace will be when the Iranian leadership recognizes the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state."
"Until that happens, I think Iran will remain a threat, particularly if the regime, whether it's the current regime or a regime that changed that has a similar ideology as the current regime, that Israel must be destroyed," he continued. "That is not a peaceful outcome. That's just delaying what could be a future development of nuclear capabilities and some kind of a first strike by Iran, either against Israel or against the United States."
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-steve-daines-says-regime-change-best-long-term-plan-iran