President Donald J. Trump released a statement early Saturday morning following reports that the United States has begun what he described as “major combat operations in Iran” after Israeli forces launched pre-emptive strikes on Iranian targets overnight.
The Commander-in-Chief confirmed that American forces are now engaged in what he described as a “massive and ongoing operation” aimed at neutralizing the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten U.S. troops, American allies, and the homeland itself.
President Trump outlined a decades-long pattern of Iranian aggression, reminding Americans that the regime has openly chanted “Death to America” since its inception in 1979 while backing terrorist attacks that have killed U.S. service members across the Middle East.
He specifically cited:
- The 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran, where dozens of Americans were held captive for 444 days
- The 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel
- Iranian-backed militias responsible for killing and maiming hundreds of American troops in Iraq
- Continued proxy attacks against U.S. forces and commercial vessels in Middle Eastern shipping lanes
From Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen, the President warned that Tehran has spent decades funding and training terrorist militias responsible for destabilizing the region and spilling innocent blood.
Trump also pointed to Iran’s role in backing Hamas, which carried out the brutal October 7 attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,000 civilians, including dozens of Americans, and resulted in U.S. citizens being taken hostage.
Trump issued a direct appeal to the Iranian people, urging them to reclaim control of their nation from the country’s ruling Islamic regime.
President Trump:
A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime—a vicious group of very hard, terrible people—whose menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted “Death to America” and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and innocent people in many, many countries. Among the regime’s very first acts was backing a violent takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days.
In 1983, Iran’s proxies carried out the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 American military personnel. In 2000, they knew of—and were probably involved with—the attack on the USS Cole. Many died. Iranian forces killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq. The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as against U.S. naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes.
It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer.
From Lebanon to Yemen, and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained, and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the Earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran’s proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous October 7th attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people—including 46 Americans—while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal—something like the world has never seen before.
Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror and has recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the streets as they protested. It has always been the policy of the United States—particularly my administration—that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again: they can never have a nuclear weapon.
That is why, in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iran. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we repeatedly sought to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it—they didn’t. They wanted to do it—again—they didn’t want to do it.
They didn’t know what was happening. They just wanted to practice evil. But Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades. They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.
Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland. Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had—and were actually armed with—nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.
For these reasons, the United States military has undertaken a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally—again—obliterated.
We’re going to eliminate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the regime’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world, attack our forces, or use their IEDs—or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called—to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans.
And we will ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message: they will never have a nuclear weapon. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces.
I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration, and there is no military on Earth even close to its power, strength, or sophistication. My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region.
Even so—and I do not make this statement lightly—the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now—we’re doing this for the future—and it is a noble mission.
We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm’s way, and we trust that, with His help, the men and women of the Armed Forces will prevail. We have the greatest in the world, and they will prevail.
To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all of the police, I say tonight: you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity—or, in the alternative, face certain death.
So lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly, with total immunity—or you will face certain death.
Finally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your homes. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere.
When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help—but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight.
Now you have a president who is giving you what you want—so let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.
Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action.
Do not let it pass. 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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