Trump directs Tehran to ‘lay down your arms’ or face ‘certain death’ after US, Israel strikes

The US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran Saturday morning, with the initial attack near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Tehran office.

The airstrikes are a response to the regime’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program following weeks of talks — and as the US increased its military presence in the Middle East after President Trump warned Tehran there would be consequences if a deal was not reached.

“It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump vowed in a video message posted on Truth Social just before 3 a.m.

He warned Tehran to “lay down your arms or face certain death.”

President Trump directed Iran to "lay down your arms or face certain death" Saturday morning after the US and Israel launched a joint strike on Tehran.

"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," he said during an eight-minute Mar-a-Lago address.He vowed that Iran's nuclear program will be "totally, again, obliterated."



"We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It's a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon," the president emphasized.

"To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay your weapons down and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death," Trump declared.

"So lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly with total immunity or you will face certain death."




President Trump urged Iranians to "seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach."



"This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass," he said during his Mar-a-Lago address early Saturday after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.




President Trump assured Iranian civilians that "the hour of your freedom is at hand" during his Mar-a-Lago address early Saturday after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.


"To the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand," he added, urging them to "stay sheltered" as "bombs will be dropping everywhere."

"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take," he urged. "It will be probably your only chance for generations.

"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.

"Now you have a president who is giving you what you want, so let's see how you respond," Trump continued.




The US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran Saturday morning in response to the regime’s refusal to dismantle its nuclear program after weeks of negotiations.


The attacks follow a massive US military buildup in the Middle East and come after President Trump repeatedly warned Tehran that it would face consequences if it didn’t make a deal with the US.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said in an eight-minute video address on Saturday.

A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.

Israel said it launched a preemptive attack against Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation and further dimming hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.


The attack, coming after Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day air war in June, follows repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/28/world-news/us-israel-attack-iran-live-updates-after-airstrikes-launched/