During a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, President Donald Trump said he is not looking for “regime change” in Iran. “These are great people – has a chance to be a great country with the same leadership…we’re not looking for regime change, we’re looking for no nuclear weapons,” Trump said of Iran at the press conference after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

These seemingly diplomatic comments are a change in tone from what has been coming from the hardliners in the Trump administration, most notably Mike Pompeo and John Bolton. But despite Trumps comments on Monday, the administration has taken a hardline approach against Iran in recent weeks.

This month the Trump administration has deployed an aircraft carrier close to Iran, signed off on sending an additional 1,500 troops to the region, and tightened economic sanctions on the country.

Trump has said he wants to make a better deal with Iran, but his “art of the deal” negotiating style is not working on Tehran since he tore up the nuclear deal over a year ago. Trump should trust his instincts, practice real diplomacy with Tehran and stop escalating tensions with the country – he is the President after all.

Dave DeCamp is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn NY, focusing on US Foreign policy and wars. He is on Twitter at @decampdave.