Washington, Feb 28 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed “freedom” for the Iranian people is his central goal as the United States launched what officials described as a multiday military operation against Iran, in a move that leading American newspapers have framed as both a bid for regime change and a high-risk “war of choice.”
“All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump told The Washington Post in a brief phone interview shortly after 4 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
“I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have,” he said.
A U.S. official said the operation began at about 1 a.m. Eastern time with ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-launched munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy jets. The administration has named the campaign “Operation Epic Fury.”
Iran quickly launched counterstrikes, targeting multiple U.S. military bases, including the support facility for its 5th Fleet ships in Bahrain, according to the official. While operations are ongoing, no U.S. service members have been injured, the official said.
Israel also said it launched attacks on Iran on Saturday.
In a prerecorded video message released around 2:30 a.m., Trump announced “major combat operations.” He urged Iranians, once the strikes cease, to “take over your government,” telling them, “this will probably be your only chance for generations.”
He acknowledged the risks.
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” Trump said in his taped remarks. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this, not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
He added: “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,” he said. “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.”
Trump framed the strikes as necessary to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” accusing Tehran of a campaign of “mass terror” against the United States for 47 years and of being “probably involved” in the al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole in 2000.
He invoked the 1979 hostage crisis and the 1983 bombing of U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.
“I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration,” Trump said, “and there is no military on Earth even close to its power, strength or sophistication.”
The Wall Street Journal editorial board, writing before U.S. military action began, argued that “Iran’s regime refuses to compromise on missiles or its nuclear program,” under the headline “The Ayatollah Is Choosing War.”
Citing stalled nuclear negotiations in Geneva, the editorial said talks ended with “both sides still far apart on key issues.” It added: “Iran rejected the idea of transferring uranium stockpiles abroad. It also has objected to ending enrichment, dismantling its nuclear facilities and permanent restrictions on its program.”
The Journal said the regime “won’t even let Mr Trump make a mistake,” and wrote that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “apparently feels that giving in to U.S. demands would be a greater risk to his rule than incurring an attack.”
The New York Times, in a news analysis published Saturday, described the strike as “the ultimate war of choice,” asserting that “There was no immediate threat from Iran.”
“With his broad attack on Iran early Saturday morning and his call to the Iranian people to overthrow their government, President Trump has embarked on the ultimate war of choice,” the Times wrote.
The analysis added: “He was not driven by an immediate threat. There was no race for a bomb.”
Quoting Richard N. Haass, the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Times wrote: “As in the second Iraq war, there wasn’t a necessity to attack Iran, there was an opportunity.”
In his November 2024 election night speech, Trump had said: “We defeated [Islamic State] in record time, but we had no wars. They said he will start a war. I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”
Vice President JD Vance told The Washington Post days before the attack: “The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen.”
The United States and Iran have been adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Relations collapsed after the 444-day hostage crisis, and tensions have periodically escalated over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional proxy networks and missile development.
Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Trump’s first term and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
–IANS
lkj/dan
