At 9 a.m. local time, Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran in what President Donald Trump described as an effort to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” Early reports suggest that the barrage is a combination of sea-launched Tomahawk missiles and air-launched missiles.
In an early morning address, the president described the Iranian leadership as “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” “It’s been mass terror and we are not going to put up with it any longer,” Trump said.
He stated that “it has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again, they can never have a nuclear weapon.”
No Iran Deal
In his video message, Trump explained that the US military is “undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.” He continued:
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally – again – obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”
This move comes hot on the heels of weeks of attempted deliberations between the nations. Trump warned earlier this month that “We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” adding that Iran has a “maximum” of 15 days to reach an agreement with US negotiators. That deadline was expected to come due around March 2. It seems the administration’s patience has run its course.
The Department of War posted a simple message on its social media account saying, “Operation Epic Fury.”
Israel in the Hot Seat
Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin said that the first barrage “included strikes on numerous targets of the terrorist regime, including military infrastructure, surface-to-surface missiles, command and control centers, and more.”
“At this time, the IAF [Israeli Air Force] is operating to intercept and strike threats where necessary to remove the threat,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in response to Iran’s retaliatory attack. At the time of writing, it is unclear whether Iranian missiles have made it to Israel.
The Iranian regime has recently been involved in massive crackdowns on protestors against the government, with thousands reported to have been killed in response to demonstrations. Trump had a message for the Iranian people:
“Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take… This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it… Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let’s see how you respond.”
Speaking to The Washington Post in the early hours of this morning, the president said, “All I want is freedom for the people… I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
Liberty Nation News will keep you updated on this developing story.
