Trump Announces Strikes on Iran, Urging Iranians to ‘Take Over Your Government’

The attack — and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region — comes after weeks of escalating tensions.

President Donald Trump holds up a fist after disembarking Air Force One.

Matt Rourke/AP

President Donald Trump announced early Saturday that the U.S. military was undertaking “major combat operations,” striking Iran in a massive bombing campaign.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” the presidentsaid in an 8-minute video posted to Truth Social at 2:30 a.m. “Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.”

In a nod to regime change, the president urged Iranians to “take over your government” once the bombs stopped dropping.