WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States military has begun “major combat operations” against Iran, warning Tehran that its leaders face either total surrender or “certain death.” The announcement was posted on Trump’s X (formerly Twitter) account.
Trump outlined an aggressive campaign aimed at neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme, dismantling its missile capabilities, and targeting what he described as the regime’s decades-long support for global terrorism.
“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump declared. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.”
The president repeatedly called Iran a “wicked, radical dictatorship” and accused the regime of waging an “unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder” for over 47 years. He cited historical incidents including the 1979 U.S. embassy seizure in Tehran, the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing, the 2000 USS Cole attack, and support for terrorist proxies in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and for Hamas during the 2025 attacks on Israel.
Trump also referenced “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a campaign launched in June 2025 targeting Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, asserting that Iran repeatedly rejected opportunities to halt its nuclear ambitions.
The U.S. military operation, he said, will comprehensively target Iran’s missile program, naval forces, and regional proxies. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. We’re going to annihilate their navy,” Trump said. He emphasized the potential risk to American forces: “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.”
Trump issued direct warnings to Iranian military and security personnel, offering total immunity to those who lay down arms while threatening “certain death” to those who resist.
In an unprecedented address to Iranian civilians, Trump urged citizens to seize the opportunity to overthrow their government, telling them to remain sheltered as bombs fall and asserting, “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny.”
The speech concluded with a patriotic invocation: “May God bless the brave men and women of America’s armed forces. May God bless the United States of America. May God bless you all.”
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