Conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly said Monday that it was becoming increasingly clear that the Trump administration will not be able to change the Iranian regime as a result of its war.

“It is becoming apparent to the Trump administration that they are not going to be able to change the regime, unless you throw 10,000 ground troops into Iran, which is never going to happen,” O’Reilly told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on “On Balance.”

“So, the thinking is, we’ll make a deal, the deal will encompass inspectors going in to see that they aren’t enriching uranium, no ballistic missiles and bunch of other things in return for a lightening up of the economic sanctions against Iran,” he added.

On Monday, President Trump said American strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure would stop for five days following “very good” and “productive” talks with Iranian leaders. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. and Iran “over the last two days” had “conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”

Iran denied that it was talking to the U.S., but it has engaged with third countries seeking an end to the war.

The U.S.-Israeli conflict against Iran is nearing a month, with many Americans disapproving of the operation. In a new CBS/YouGov poll, 60 percent were against the conflict and 40 percent were for it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Trump saw an opportunity for a deal with Iran following a phone call between the leaders.

“President Trump believes there is an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements we have reached alongside the US military to realize the goals of the war through an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests,” Netanyahu said on the social platform X.

Netanyahu reportedly hopes the strikes on Iran will spur regime change, and sought to convince Trump that such a revolution was possible. However, Trump has equivocated on whether the current Islamic regime should stay in place after the war.

While Trump initially called on Iranians to rise up once the war is over, he has more recently played down the possibility of an overthrow, given the violence sure to meet anti-government protesters.

Trump has suggested the U.S. might be OK working with elements of the current regime who are willing to meet American demands for reforms and scaling back nuclear and military threats.

Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly leading U.S. efforts to open a dialogue with Iran to end the war, at the same time Trump is sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, weighing a possible operation to take control of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil hub.

While Iran has denied that it’s taking part in negotiations, the figure reportedly leading its diplomacy is Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament.

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