US President Donald Trump reportedly said his main concern was “freedom” for the Iranian people as the US and Israel jointly launched a massive military attack on Iran on Saturday. The multi-day strike, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”, was launched around 1:00 a.m. (local time) with a salvo of ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-launched munitions from US Air Force and Navy aircraft, a US official said.
“All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump said in a brief phone interview shortly after 4 a.m. when asked what he hoped his message would be as a result of military action and pressure for regime change in Iran, The Washington Post reported.
He was speaking from Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida, where he arrived on Friday night just hours before the military strikes began, according to US media.
Clash of USA, Israel and Iran
Tensions between the US and Iran escalated on Saturday with the launch of Operation Epic Fury. Israel first reported the strikes, and US President Donald Trump later confirmed Washington’s role, warning that bombs would be “dropped everywhere”.
Here you can follow the latest updates on the clashes between the US, Israel and Iran
Iran quickly launched retaliatory attacks – explosions reported in Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, among others – which are also home to US military bases.
Footage from Tehran showed vehicles engulfed in flames and smoke rising as explosions were heard in five cities in Iran, including Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, as well as the capital, the BBC reported.
How long can strikes last?
Donald Trump reportedly did not answer any questions from The Washington Post about the duration or scope of ongoing operations and declined to comment on the possibility of deploying US troops on the ground.
However, JD Vance indicated that any military action initiated by Trump in Iran would be limited in scope and not escalate into a long-term conflict.
“The idea that we’re going to be at war in the Middle East for years with no end — there’s no way that’s going to happen,” JD Vance told The Post on Thursday, February 26.
“You want a safe nation…”
“I want a secure nation, and that’s what we’re going to have,” POTUS said in his first comments since announcing “major combat operations” in a video message around 2:30 a.m. (local time) on Saturday.
Trump went on to urge the Iranians once the strikes stop “take over your government”, telling them “this will probably be your only chance for generations”.
