President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States military, in coordination with Israel, has initiated major combat operations against Iran, issuing a stark ultimatum to Tehran’s leadership: surrender or face “certain death.”
In a video address posted to social media, Trump declared the campaign aims to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, dismantle its missile industry, and crush its regional network of armed proxies.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said, directly addressing members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to lay down their weapons for immunity.
The strikes follow years of intensifying hostility between Washington and Tehran, punctuated by brief periods of direct conflict. Trump justified the massive strike by citing decades of attacks blamed on Iran, including the 1979 U.S. embassy hostage crisis, the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing, and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole.
The current operation follows a major U.S. campaign in June 2025, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” securitynewsalert.com heard, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Additionally, the administration has accused Iran of backing violent militias in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as supporting Hamas in the October 7, 2025, attacks on Israel.
In an unusual appeal directly to the Iranian populace, Trump urged them to seize the opportunity to overthrow their government while the strikes are ongoing.
“Stay sheltered… Bombs will be dropping everywhere,” Trump warned civilians, advising them to take over their government once the U.S. operation is complete.
While the White House has not yet released details regarding immediate casualties or specific targets hit during the initial phase of the operation, reports indicate explosions in several cities, including Tehran, Qom, and Isfahan.
