'Surrender or face death', Trump tells IRGC as US, Israel launch 'major combat operations' in Iran

President Donald Trump on Saturday said the U.S. has begun “major combat operations in Iran” after Israel launched strikes.

In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump said the objective is to defend the U.S. by “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

Trump announces US strike on Iran

“The United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests,” Trump said.

. “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”

Iran was rebuilding nuclear program: Trump

According to the US President, Iran had been working to rebuild its nuclear program damaged in the US bombing in June 2025.

“After that attack we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons and we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it, they didn't want to do it, again they wanted to do it. They didn't want to do it. They didn't know what was happening. They just wanted to practice evil," he said

“They rejected every opportunity to reach their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore,” he said.

"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," he said.

Surrender or get killed, Trump tells IRGC

In a strongly worded message to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Trump urged them to lay down their arms or face ‘certain death’.

“I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death,” he said. “Lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death.”

'Take over your government'

He also encouraged the Iranian people to “take over your government".

"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations," Trump said. "For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight."

Could result in loss of American lives

He also admitted that the operation could lead to the loss of American lives.

“My administration is taking every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region,” Trump said.

“Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill,” he said.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” he said.

“That often happens in war,” he added.

Israel declares state of emergency

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as being done “to remove threats.”

Israel also declared a state of emergency, and several hospitals in the country launched their emergency protocols, including moving patients and surgeries to underground facilities.