President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that U.S. forces have begun large-scale combat operations against Iran, saying the campaign aims to eliminate imminent threats, respond to years of hostile activity, and protect American national security interests.
In a recorded statement, Trump accused Hamas and other Iranian-backed networks of terrorism and said the United States intends to target Iran’s missile infrastructure, naval capabilities and the networks that support proxy forces across the Middle East. He warned members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that those who surrender could receive immunity, while those who resist would face destruction.
Trump framed the operation as necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, citing Iran’s continued enrichment efforts after last year’s airstrikes. He referenced a prior U.S. attack in June 2025 — an operation called Midnight Hammer — in which B-2 bombers and submarine-launched missiles struck uranium enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
According to earlier U.S. deployments, the Pentagon had positioned two carrier strike groups and more than a dozen warships in the region in the weeks leading up to the operation. Washington also pursued diplomatic channels, including indirect talks in Oman and Switzerland earlier this year, but officials said those efforts did not produce an agreement.
Trump urged Iranian civilians to remain inside during the military campaign and suggested that, once combat operations conclude, Iranians could take control of their government. He described the action as sweeping, saying it would significantly degrade Iran’s missile capacity and naval strength.
Trump’s announcement came amid reports that Israel carried out a strike inside Iran; explosions were reported in Tehran and emergency alerts were triggered. The news drove short-term market volatility, with Bitcoin falling roughly 4% from about $65,500 to near $63,000 soon after the reports emerged.
U.S. officials have not provided a full public accounting of the strikes or a timetable for further action. International responses were still developing as the situation continued to unfold.