President Donald J. Trump overnight Friday announced that the United States military has launched major combat operations against the Iranian regime, vowing to obliterate its nuclear ambitions, missile capabilities, and naval forces once and for all.
In an eight-minute video address posted to social media, the president laid out the stark reasons for the action, detailing 47 years of Iranian hostility toward America that has included chants of “Death to America,” sponsorship of terrorism, and direct attacks on U.S. personnel.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
“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.”
Trump recounted the regime’s bloody record: the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the 444-day hostage crisis; the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 American service members via Iranian proxies; suspected involvement in the 2000 USS Cole attack; hundreds of U.S. troops killed or maimed in Iraq by Iranian-backed forces; and ongoing assaults on American bases, ships, and allies across the Middle East.
He pointed to Iran’s role as the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, including its backing of Hamas in the brutal October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that slaughtered more than 1,000 innocents — including 46 Americans — and took hostages. Trump also condemned the regime’s recent deadly crackdowns on its own protesting citizens.
The president highlighted prior action under his leadership: “In Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.”
Despite repeated U.S. efforts to negotiate — “We sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it.” — the president said Iran refused to renounce its nuclear pursuits and instead rebuilt its program while advancing long-range missiles threatening Europe, U.S. troops, and potentially the American homeland.
Trump made clear the stakes: “Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested. They can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again, they can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Describing the ongoing campaign as “massive,” he stated, “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy… Bombs will be dropping everywhere.”
Addressing the Iranian people directly, Trump urged regime change.
“To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he said, adding, “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.
He offered a final warning to Iranian military and police forces: “Lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death.”
The president noted potential American casualties in what he called a “noble mission” to protect future generations from a nuclear-armed Iran. Praising the unmatched strength of the U.S. military he rebuilt in his first term, Trump prayed for the safety of service members and affirmed, “We have the greatest in the world, and they will prevail.”
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
PRESIDENT DONALD J. 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.
Its 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 the innocent people in many, many countries.
Among the 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 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 U.S. naval and commercial vessels and international shipping lands.
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 just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested. It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular 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 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 wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it. Again, they wanted to do it. 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’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to 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 actually were 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 raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces and no longer 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 that 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 that 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 home. 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 be probably 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 to 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.
Thank you.
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