When asked what Iran could do to avoid an attack, the President said Iran should "give us the deal that they should have given us the first time," adding, "If they give us the right deal, we won't do that." He criticized Iran for what he described as longstanding talks that produced little action: "they do a lot of talking and no action."
On whether he wants regime change in Iran, the President said, "Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen," and invoked what he described as a 47-year period of Iranian behavior and the human cost: "In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk, and legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off."
The President also said additional U.S. military power has arrived and that "another carrier is going out shortly," framing the posture supporting diplomatic pressure. When asked whether he would accept anything less than zero nuclear enrichment, he said, "We don't want any enrichment." The transcript records the President's statements and reporter questions but does not record any policy document or formal directive accompanying the remarks.