Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had launched “major combat operations” in Iran, warning American soldiers may be killed and urging Iranian forces to lay down their weapons.
Trump’s announcement and objectives
In a video posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Iranian regime “seeks to kill” and warned that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost” and that casualties could occur.
Trump said the strikes were aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and annihilating Iran’s navy. He addressed members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, urging them to surrender and promising immunity to those who complied, while warning others would face “certain death.”
Diplomacy and nuclear dispute
Trump said the strikes followed the collapse of diplomatic efforts to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Washington and Tehran held a series of talks in recent weeks, with the most recent taking place on Thursday without a deal.
“Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades,” Trump said, adding that Iran rejected opportunities to renounce its nuclear ambitions.
Signals of action and regional response
The military action had been widely signalled, with the United States and Israel repeatedly warning they would strike Iran again if Tehran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Israel launched what it described as a pre-emptive attack on Saturday, and the United States confirmed it was striking Iran by air and sea. An Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran was preparing a response that would be “crushing.”
Escalation in U.S.-Iran confrontation
The assault marks the most significant direct U.S. military confrontation with Iran in the two countries’ decades-long adversarial relationship, deepening a crisis that has rattled the Middle East and damaged hopes of a negotiated settlement.
What do you think the U.S. and Iran should do next to prevent further escalation?
