U.S. President Donald Trump said in an right-minute video posted on his Truth Social that the U.S. has begun “major combat operations in Iran.”
He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to succeed in U.S. and appealed to the Iranian people to “take over your government.”
Here’s Trump’s address in full:
A short while ago, the USA 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. Its menacing activities directly endanger the USA, 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 USA, our troops and the innocent people in lots of, many countries. Among the many regime’s very first acts was to back 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 and were probably involved with the attack on the usCole. Many died. Iranian forces killed and maimed lots of of American service members in Iraq. The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed within the Middle East in recent times, in addition to U.S. naval and industrial vessels and international shipping lines. It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to place up with it any longer.
Get every day National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained and funded terrorist militias which have soaked the earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran’s proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, slaughtering greater than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our residents hostage. It was brutal, something just like the world has never seen before.
Iran is the world’s primary state sponsor of terror, and only in the near past killed tens of 1000’s of its own residents on the road as they protested. It has at all times been the policy of the USA, particularly my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again, they’ll never have a nuclear weapon. That’s the reason in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They desired to do it. They didn’t wish to do it. Again they desired to do it. They didn’t wish to do it. They didn’t know what was happening. They simply desired to practice evil. But Iran refused, just because it has for a long time and a long time.
They’ve rejected every opportunity to surrender their nuclear ambitions, and we will’t take it anymore. As a substitute, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to proceed developing the long range missiles that may now threaten our superb friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and will soon reach the American homeland. Just imagine how emboldened this regime could be in the event that they ever had, and really were armed with nuclear weapons as a way to deliver their message.
For these reasons, the USA military is undertaking an enormous and ongoing operation to stop this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the bottom. It’ll be totally again obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to make sure that the region’s terrorist proxies can now not destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces, and now not use their IEDs, or roadside bombs as they’re sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill 1000’s and 1000’s of individuals, including many Americans. And we’ll make sure that Iran doesn’t obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a quite simple message. They are going to never have a nuclear weapon.
This regime will soon learn that nobody should challenge the strength and might of the USA Armed Forces. I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration and there is no such thing as a military on earth even near its power, strength or sophistication. My administration is taking every possible step to reduce the danger to U.S. personnel within the region. Even so, and I don’t make this statement calmly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes could also be lost, and we can have casualties. That usually happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the longer term. And it’s a noble mission. We pray for each service member as they selflessly risk their lives to make sure that Americans and our youngsters won’t ever be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to guard all of our heroes in harm’s way. And we trust that along with his help, the boys and ladies of the armed forces will prevail. We’ve the best on the earth, and they’re going to prevail.
To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all the police, I say tonight that you need to lay down your weapons and have complete immunity. Or in the choice, face certain death. So, lay down your arms. You will probably be treated fairly with total immunity, otherwise you will face certain death. Finally, to the good proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your private home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will probably be dropping in all places. After we are finished, take over your government. It’ll be yours to take. This will probably be probably your only likelihood for generations.
For a few years, you will have asked for America’s help. But you never got it. No president was willing to do what I’m willing to do tonight. Now you will have a president who’s supplying you with what you would like. So let’s see the way you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now could be the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that’s close inside your reach. That is the moment for motion. Don’t let it pass.
May God bless the brave men and ladies of America’s armed forces. May God bless the USA of America. May God bless you all. Thanks.
© 2026 The Canadian Press