Against the backdrop of the opening of a US-Israeli offensive targeting the full range of the Iranian regime’s power centers, the US president delivered what he described as a historic indictment of Tehran, built around a clear message: the campaign targets the regime’s machinery of repression and violence, while recognizing the Iranian people as an ancient and proud nation.
In a dramatic address delivered overnight, the president said current US policy reflects a long record of confrontation, terrorism, and international violations that, in his view, has persisted since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Confrontation with the United States
He opened with the Iran hostage crisis at the US Embassy in Tehran, a defining moment in bilateral relations, when 52 American diplomats were held for 444 days. From that point onward, he argued, Iran’s leadership chose a sustained course of confrontation with the United States and the broader Western alliance.
The president went on to list what he described as a consistent pattern: long-term support for armed organizations across the Middle East, the expansion of Iran’s ballistic missile program, progress toward a military nuclear capability, and harsh internal repression. He cited executions on a massive scale, the persecution of political opponents, and systemic violations of basic rights, framing these as drivers of regional and international instability.
At the center of the speech, he drew a line between the Iranian public and the governing apparatus. He urged Iranian citizens to shape their own future and addressed Iran’s security forces with a message that distinguished between political decision-makers and those serving in uniform. He also declared that the United States would destroy Iran’s naval forces, ballistic capabilities, and nuclear capabilities.
Called on Iranians to unite around democraric values
In parallel with the speech, the region is witnessing expansive military operations by the United States and Israel, including moves that, according to American and Israeli sources, will become clearer as the campaign develops. The stated operational focus is the destruction of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities, strikes on the regime’s key components, and action against Iran-backed proxies across the theater. The declared objective, according to those sources, is the removal of the regime and the elimination of its ability to project power.
Following the president’s remarks, Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, also delivered a message that drew attention across opposition circles abroad. He described the moment as pivotal and called on Iranians to unite around a democratic, secular vision for their country. He argued that the confrontation centers on the regime’s institutions and urged Iranians to take their future into their own hands as the campaign advances.
The goal is clear: the collapse of the Iranian regime and the dismantling of the proxy network it funds, arms, and directs. The campaign is evolving, and precise forecasting is difficult, yet the scale of preparations by Israel and the United States appears extensive. The combination of Israeli intelligence and American firepower creates a level of operational lethality that Tehran has faced in few previous moments.
This moment also echoes the story of the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), a reminder that power can look permanent until it collapses quickly. The coming days may bring difficult tests, yet the strategic endpoint is visible: a decisive victory and a political shift that reshapes the Middle East.