U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the Iranian people to “seize this moment” and topple their regime, declaring that America stands with them as military operations continue across Iran.
“I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment,” Trump said in a televised address. “Be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country. America is with you.”
U.S. President Donald Trump
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He urged members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, military and police to lay down their arms and accept “full immunity — or face certain death.”
Combat operations, he said, are continuing “in full force” and will not stop until all U.S. objectives are achieved. Trump described the campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, as one of the largest and most complex military offensives ever undertaken.
“Over the past 36 hours, the United States and its partners have launched one of the most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen,” he said, adding that hundreds of targets had been struck, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, air defense systems and naval assets.
He said nine Iranian naval ships and a naval headquarters were destroyed “in a matter of minutes” and confirmed that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strike, along with what he described as the entire senior military command.
“Many of them want to surrender to save their lives. They want immunity. They’re calling by the thousands,” Trump said.
Earlier Sunday, in a telephone interview with Britain’s Daily Mail, Trump said he expects the campaign to last “four weeks, or less.” He said the initial assessment from the outset of the operation, launched Saturday morning, was that it would take about a month.
“Iran is a big country, and although it’s strong, this will take four weeks, or less,” he said.
Drone strike hits Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait
“There will likely be more before it ends,” he said. “That’s the way it is. But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow.”
Trump also spoke Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the operation continued.
Framing the campaign as a necessary step to prevent Iran from acquiring long-range missiles and nuclear weapons, Trump described Tehran as “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”
Despite his assertive tone, public opinion in the United States appears divided. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after the launch of the strikes found that 27% of respondents support the attack, while 43% oppose it and 29% said they were unsure.
“I made a promise to you and I fulfilled that promise,” Trump said. “The rest will be up to you, but we’ll be there to help.”