International Trump says he wants ‘freedom’ for Iranians after strikes by Julia Manchester - 02/28/26 6:56 AM ET by Julia Manchester - 02/28/26 6:56 AM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING President Trump on Saturday expressed that he wants “freedom” for the Iranian people after the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes against Tehran. “All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump  told the Washington Post  in a phone interview. “I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have,” he added. In a video posted to Truth Social overnight, the president announced “major combat operations” had begun in Iran and called for regime change. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” he said. Trump also urged members of Iran’s military to lay down their arms and pressed Iranians to topple the regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which has controlled the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. “Bombs will be dropping everywhere. 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 in the video. “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.” He added, “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny.” The strikes follow weeks of speculation over whether the U.S. would attack Iran amid U.S. military buildup in the region. Washington and Tehran have been engaged in indirect negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump has expressed frustration over Iran declining to commit to not developing a nuclear weapon.  The State Department on Friday moved to designate Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention and authorized the departure of nonemergency government personnel and their families from Israel earlier in the day as tensions rose in the region. Add as preferred source on Google Tags Ali Khamenei Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Donald Trump Israel regime change Trump administration U.S. military U.S. strikes Iran U.S.-Iran relations Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More International News See All International World on edge as US, Israel strikes on Iran stoke fears of broader conflict by Sarah Davis 8 minutes ago International  /  8 minutes ago