(240225) — WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 25, 2024 (Xinhua) — Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor in Maryland, the United States, Feb. 24, 2024. Trump has defeated former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the South Carolina Republican primary, multiple U.S. media organizations projected Saturday night. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)
WEST PALM BEACH — US President Donald Trump announces a sweeping military assault on Iran, declaring that American forces will dismantle the country’s naval and missile capabilities and openly urging Iranians to overthrow their government.
In a video message released after US and Israeli forces begin coordinated attacks, Trump frames the operation as a decisive effort to cripple the Islamic republic’s military power and end the rule established after Iran’s 1979 revolution.
Speaking from Florida, Trump says the campaign aims to wipe out Iran’s missile infrastructure and neutralize its navy, warning that the scale of destruction will be overwhelming and irreversible.
Addressing the Iranian public directly, he urges civilians to seize what he describes as a rare opportunity to reclaim political control, portraying the offensive as a turning point that could reshape the country’s future for generations.
Trump also issues a stark ultimatum to Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, telling them to surrender in exchange for immunity or face lethal consequences if they continue to defend the government.
Justifying the strikes, he claims Iran is rebuilding its nuclear program and expanding long-range missile development that could threaten US allies, American troops abroad, and eventually the United States itself. He warns civilians to remain indoors as large-scale bombing continues.
The assault follows weeks of heightened military deployments in the Middle East and comes despite recent diplomatic contacts, including talks mediated by Oman in Geneva. While negotiations had raised hopes of compromise on Iran’s nuclear activities, Trump’s announcement signals a decisive shift from diplomacy to force.