WASHINGTON (Realist English). US President Donald Trump declared the start of large-scale American military operations against Iran, vowing to eliminate what he described as imminent threats from Tehran and urging the Iranian people to rise against their government.
In a nationally televised address following the launch of joint US and Israeli strikes, Trump said the objective was to protect American citizens, troops and allies from what he called a “vicious” regime. He accused Iran of decades of hostility toward the United States, citing the 1979 embassy hostage crisis, the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, attacks on US forces in Iraq and alleged support for militant groups across the Middle East.
Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains a core US policy. He referenced a previous operation that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and said Tehran had resumed efforts to rebuild its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities.
“The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation,” Trump said, pledging to dismantle Iran’s missile industry, destroy its naval assets and weaken regional proxy groups. “They will never have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
The president acknowledged the possibility of American casualties but described the campaign as necessary for long-term security. He warned members of Iran’s armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to lay down their weapons, offering what he called “complete immunity” in exchange for surrender, or face lethal consequences.
In a direct appeal to Iranian civilians, Trump said the “hour of your freedom is at hand,” urging them to remain indoors during the fighting and suggesting they would have an opportunity to “take over” their government once military operations concluded.
The speech marked a dramatic escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran and signaled that the US campaign could extend beyond limited strikes into a broader effort to reshape Iran’s military capabilities and political trajectory.
