Iran reportedly issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump just days before the United States launched a major military assault on the country's nuclear infrastructure.Iran shared a haunting message to Trump in the days leading up to the attack. Credit: Pool / GettyLate Saturday, President Trump authorized a sweeping operation: more than 125 aircraft flew over 7,000 miles to strike three critical Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.He confirmed the attack in a later national address, saying: “The US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear assemblies in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘Death to America. Death to Israel.’ They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs," he continued. "That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate, in particular."The 79-year-old remarked that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been "obliterated" and that the country "must now make peace," warning that if they do not, "future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier".He also echoed that message on his social media platform, Truth Social, writing: “Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.”Credit: Truth SocialOnly after the strikes did it emerge that Iran had issued a stark warning days earlier, during the G7 summit in Canada.According to The Mirror, an intermediary revealed that Iran warned that if the US attacked, Tehran would activate sleeper-cell attacks on American soil.For context, sleeper cells are operatives who live quietly within a country and only mobilize if ordered.The Department of Homeland Security responded swiftly, issuing a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin that the conflict “is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States,” particularly if Iran’s leadership calls for retaliatory violence.Cyberattacks and threats to current and former U.S. officials, especially linked to General Qasem Soleimani’s 2020 killing, were also highlighted.Vice President J.D. Vance assured the public that the situation is being closely monitored and that U.S. law enforcement remains prepared to respond. He also criticized the Biden-era immigration policies for allegedly allowing individuals “on terrorism watch lists” to enter the country.Meanwhile, in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams emphasized readiness without panic: “There are no notable threats directly to the city, but you always want to be conscious of lone wolves," per NBC News.He confirmed NYPD patrols are focused around Jewish and Persian communities, as well as high-traffic areas like Times Square, to guard against lone-wolf attacks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has spoken out. Credit: Contributor / GettyIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has insisted that his country won’t back down after Trump's strike.“Our nation will not [kneel] down in the face of bullying and oppression. It is natural that it will respond to the aggression proportionately. It was the US that attacked us," he said, per Newsweek.He challenged the West rhetorically, asking: “What would you do if you were us? Naturally, they must receive a response for their aggression.”On X (formerly Twitter), Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned the strikes as a “grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT,” saying they “will have everlasting consequences.”Furthermore, Iranian officials also noted that their nuclear enrichment work will not be stopped despite the damage.Abbas Golroo, head of Iran’s Parliament Foreign Policy Committee, suggested Iran now has grounds to legally withdraw from the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty under Article 10, potentially enabling a nuclear weapons path.People protest the involvement of the U.S. in Israel's war against Iran. Credit: David McNew / GettyWith both sides issuing hardline statements and global tensions sharply elevated, the next moves in this high-stakes standoff remain uncertain.Trump’s warning of “there will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days” now faces the real risk of sleeper-cell terror or cyber warfare.Featured image credit: NurPhoto / Getty

US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran early Saturday morning and again on Sunday local time, in a dramatic escalation that President Donald Trump confirmed resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Four members of the supreme leader’s family were also killed in the strikes.

The joint military action came after weeks of tense talks over Iran’s nuclear program collapsed. The regime had refused to dismantle its nuclear capabilities, prompting the US to increase its military presence across the Middle East.

President Trump had previously warned Tehran that failure to reach a deal would carry serious consequences.

Israel later confirmed that the operation specifically targeted both the Supreme Leader and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Trump confirms strike and issues stark warning

In a video message posted to Truth Social shortly before 3:00AM, President Trump made his position clear.

“It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump vowed.

He followed that with an uncompromising warning directed at Tehran, urging its leaders to “lay down your arms or face certain death.”

At the same time, the president is reportedly weighing immunity for supporters of the ayatollah, provided they agree to stop fighting.

The message from Washington was firm. The nuclear standoff had reached a breaking point, and the administration made clear it would not allow Iran to continue advancing its program.

Iran retaliates with missile and drone attacks

Iran responded swiftly.

Tehran warned that the “first wave of extensive missile and drone attacks” was underway across Israel, per the New York Post.

The situation intensified further when Iranian officials announced that attacks on US bases were being prepared. State media declared that Iran was ready to unleash what it described as "the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces."

The message, distributed by the semi-official Fars News Agency at approximately 6:15AM local time, or 9:15PM Saturday Eastern Time, warned: "The most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces will begin toward the occupied territories and American terrorist bases in just moments."

US and Israeli officials now believe the military campaign inside Iran could stretch on for weeks.

Iranian leaders vow “devastating blows”

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, delivered a fiery televised address on Sunday, becoming the highest-ranking Iranian official to appear publicly since the strikes began.

He condemned the leaders of the United States and Israel as “filthy criminals” who would face “devastating blows” for what he described as ongoing attacks on the Islamic Republic.

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” he said. “We will deliver such devastating blows that you yourselves will be driven to beg.”

Trump threatens unprecedented force if attacks continue

President Trump later took to Truth Social again, responding directly to reports that Iran planned to escalate its retaliation.

"Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!" Trump wrote. "Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Featured image credit: Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images

Iran has issued a stark warning to the United States, threatening to attack American forces if they go ahead with Donald Trump's announced plan to start guiding stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

In what is being viewed as one of the most direct threats Tehran has issued in the eight-week war, Iran's military said it would target any foreign vessel, especially US ones, that approach or enter the strategic waterway.

Iran's foreign ministry has also said it is ready to 'respond to US threats' in the strait, and accused the US of 'illegal actions.'

The escalation has reignited fears that the US-Iran war, which had been in a fragile ceasefire since early April, could be on the brink of restarting.

What Donald Trump announced

In a Truth Social post on Sunday (May 3), Trump announced that the US Navy would begin guiding stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz from 'Monday morning, Middle East time.'

The mission, dubbed Project Freedom by US Central Command, is designed to help free hundreds of cargo and oil ships, plus an estimated 20,000 seafarers, that have been trapped in the Gulf since the war between the US and Iran began in late February.

According to a statement from US Central Command on X, the operation will involve 'guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, [and] multi-domain unmanned platforms.'

US officials have stressed that the operation is not a formal escort mission.

Two American officials told Axios that US Navy ships will be 'in the vicinity' to deter Iranian attacks, while also providing commercial vessels with information on safe shipping lanes, particularly those known to be free of Iranian sea mines.

Trump described the plan as a 'humanitarian gesture.'

Iran's response

Unsurprisingly, Iran did not see it that way.

Within hours of Trump's announcement, Major General Ali Abdollahi, the head of Iran's military central command, issued a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

"We warn that any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive U.S. military, if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," he said.

"We have repeatedly stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and under all circumstances, any safe passage must be coordinated with these forces."

That message was reinforced by Iran's foreign ministry on Monday morning.

Spokesperson Esmail Baghaie said Iran was ready to 'respond to US threats' in the strait, framing the country as the waterway's 'guardian and protector.'

"Ships and shipping companies well know that ensuring their security requires coordination with the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Baghaie said in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency.

He added that there was no reason for countries that follow the rule of law to follow what he described as the US's 'illegal actions.'

How we got here

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, normally carries around 20% of the world's seaborne oil trade and a similar share of liquefied natural gas.

Iran effectively closed the strait on February 28, 2026, the day the US and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran under what was code-named Operation Epic Fury.

Those strikes killed Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities, US military bases in the Gulf, and US-allied Gulf states including Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard issued warnings forbidding passage through the strait, boarded merchant ships, and laid sea mines.

Since April 13, the US has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports, creating what analysts have described as a 'dual blockade' of the wider region.

According to US Central Command, 48 Iranian ships have been turned around by the US blockade in the past 20 days alone.

A fragile ceasefire was agreed in early April, and there has been no direct exchange of fire between US and Iranian forces since April 7. But neither blockade has been lifted.

The crisis has had real-world consequences far beyond the region.

According to the UK's Royal Navy, shipping traffic through the strait has dropped by more than 90 percent since the conflict began, creating what officials warn is both a 'strangulation of international trade' and a looming humanitarian crisis for the seafarers stuck on board.

Iran has previously threatened to target US energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, as well as financial institutions connected to the United States, if the conflict escalated further.

What happens next

The next 24 hours are likely to be critical. If the US Navy proceeds with Project Freedom as Trump has announced, and if Iran follows through on its threat to attack any foreign vessel that approaches the strait, the war could effectively restart.

Trump, for his part, has continued to strike a mixed tone.

He told reporters his representatives 'are having very positive discussions' with Iran, and said the talks 'could lead to something very positive for all.'

But the rhetoric on the ground tells a different story.

For now, the world's attention is once again focused on a 21-mile-wide stretch of water between Iran and Oman.

Whether or not the next ship through it is attacked may decide what happens to the wider region in the weeks ahead.

Featured image credit: Anadolu/Getty

Donald Trump has issued a message to the civilians of Iran following attacks in the region carried out by the US and Israel.

The assault targeted key military infrastructure and even struck near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound in Tehran, per the New York Post.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the Department of War, follows a significant American military buildup across the Middle East and comes after President Donald Trump repeatedly warned Iran there would be serious consequences if a deal was not reached.

Iran wasted little time in responding. Missiles were fired toward Israel in what officials described as a retaliatory strike, promising the response would be “crushing,” per BBC News.

Operation Epic Fury: US and Israel strike key Iranian targets

In an eight-minute video address on Saturday, Trump laid out the administration’s reasoning behind the strikes.

“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.

“Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries.”

US officials had spent weeks pushing Tehran to agree to dismantle its nuclear capabilities. When the regime refused, the joint strike went ahead in broad daylight, catching Iran off guard.

According to Reuters, seven missiles hit the area surrounding Khamenei’s heavily fortified complex in central Tehran. Additional strikes reportedly landed near the presidential palace.

The 86-year-old supreme leader was not in the capital at the time. Sources told the outlet he had been moved to an undisclosed secure location before the attack.

The full scale of the American assault remains unclear. However, airstrikes were also reported in Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah.

Israeli military officials were reportedly preparing for the “initial phase” of the campaign to last several days. Israel’s Channel 12 said the first wave was deliberately launched during daylight hours to maximize surprise.

Neighboring Iraq swiftly shut down its airspace once the operation began.

Trump urges Iranians to overthrow ‘violent’ regime

In a dramatic appeal, Trump called on the Iranian people to rise up against their leadership, describing the regime as “violent” and claiming this moment represented a historic opportunity.

“To the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered, don’t leave your home, it’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, we will take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations,” Trump said.

Trump continued: “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. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force.

“Now is the time 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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced strong support for the strikes, condemning what he described as 47 years of tyranny under the Iranian regime.

“This murderous terrorist regime must not be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons that would enable it to threaten all of humanity,” he said.

Across Israel, sirens blared as a “proactive” measure warning civilians of potential retaliation, according to the IDF. Public life was effectively put on hold, with authorities declaring that only “Emergency Activity” would be permitted, banning education, work and social gatherings.

Featured image credit: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. has officially entered the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, and the world is bracing for what could come next.

In a dramatic overnight move, President Donald Trump authorized military strikes on Iran, targeting three of its most critical nuclear facilities.

The strikes - which hit Fordow, Natanz, and Esfaha - took place in the dead of night Saturday, just after 3:30AM local time in Iran, The Guardian reports.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump declared on Truth Social shortly before 8:00PM ET.

The operation marked a sharp escalation in what had already become a volatile two-week military campaign, triggered by Israeli airstrikes on June 13 that reportedly killed 20 senior Iranian military officials.

Hossein Shariatmadari - described by the New York Post as editor-in-chief of Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper and a "top adviser to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" - has now issued a very clear five-word warning to the US in response to the attacks: "It is now our turn."

Hossein Shariatmadari has issued an alarming response to the U.S. Credit: Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / Getty Images.

Shariatmadari added, per CNN: “Following America’s attack on the Fordow nuclear installation, it is now our turn."

“Without hesitation or delay, as a first step we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping," Shariatmadari continued.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important global oil shipping routes, and any disruption there could have an effect on the global economy.

Trump, for his part, made it clear that any retaliation would not be taken lightly. “Any attack by Iran on the United States will be MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,” he warned, per MSNBC.

The international community is already responding. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced on Sunday that the organization will hold an emergency meeting to assess the situation.

Donald Trump addresses the nation following strikes on Iran. Credit: Carlos Barria - Pool / Getty Images.

“In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors for tomorrow,” Grossi posted on X.

The strikes came just days after Iranian officials warned the U.S. that any direct involvement in the conflict would cross a red line.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Arghchi, has since revealed that he is traveling to Russia on Sunday to meet President Vladimir Putin.

He said, per The Sun: “I’m going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.”

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that Trump was "fully committed to the peace process" and "gave Iran every single opportunity, and unfortunately, was met by stonewalling".

"There was certainly a moment in time where he realized that it had to be a certain action taken in order to minimize the threat to us and our troops," Hegseth added.

While Israel has been carrying out strikes for more than a week, Saturday’s U.S. operation marks a major shift, placing America directly in the heart of the conflict.

Featured image credit: Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / Getty Images.