Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, has expressed the view that Iran’s current regime must be replaced to achieve long-term peace with Israel. This stance follows a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which has halted the conflict after recent strikes. Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is cautiously optimistic about the truce’s stability but warns that Iran’s hostility toward Israel could undermine the ceasefire unless the regime undergoes a fundamental ideological change.
The ceasefire, which has held since late June, follows a 12-day conflict that began with Israel’s attacks on Iranian targets. A U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites, authorized by former President Donald Trump, marked a critical moment in the escalation. Daines, who previously chaired the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, emphasized the need for Iran to recognize Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish state if lasting peace is to be achieved. His comments come ahead of an upcoming meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Daines’ remarks reflect ongoing discussions within the U.S. Congress about the role of American influence in Middle Eastern affairs. While some lawmakers, including Reps. Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer, push for further military support for Israel, Daines and others caution that regime change should occur organically rather than through U.S. intervention. The senator acknowledged the risks of such a shift, noting that it could lead to an even more hostile regime, but argued that the current Iranian leadership’s opposition to Israel’s existence remains a persistent threat.
The U.S. was previously involved in regime change in Iran in the 1950s, when then-Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was removed and the Shah took control. However, most lawmakers, including Daines, do not believe the U.S. should get involved in toppling the current regime and installing a new one. Daines argued that any change must come from within, as otherwise, it may lead to a loss of legitimacy for the new regime.