US President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters / Jonathan Ernst.

After weeks of angry rhetoric targeting the US amid growing tensions in the Gulf, the Tehran regime’s English-language mouthpiece on Monday adopted a conciliatory tone as it reported President Donald Trump’s remark that his administration was not seeking “regime change” in Iran.

Commenting on Trump’s statement while on an official visit to Japan, Press TV — the main international propaganda arm of the ruling mullahs — said it signaled “a change of tone after a period of saber-rattling that saw him and other US officials threaten the Islamic Republic with war in hope of getting concessions.”

The broadcaster said that Trump’s “war talk has lost much of its steam thanks to a measured response from Iranian officials, who have indicated that they are not looking for war but would not hesitate to defend themselves against one either.”

The report also highlighted Trump’s suggestion that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could act as a mediator between the US and Iran, emphasizing the president’s remark, “I know that the prime minister and Japan have a very good relationship with Iran so we’ll see what happens.”

Trump added, “I really believe that Iran would like to make a deal, and I think that’s very smart of them, and I think that’s a possibility to happen.”

On Sunday, Iran flatly denied that it was engaged in either “direct or indirect negotiations” with the US.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said there was no truth to reports in Kuwaiti news outlets that Iranian and American negotiators were meeting.