President Donald J. Trump has issued a fresh update on Operation Epic Fury, which began this weekend alongside the Israeli government and military.

Speaking in a recorded message from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said: “Over the past 36 hours, the United States and its partners have launched Operation Epic Fury, one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensive. The world has ever seen. Nobody’s seen anything like it.

President Trump issues update on Operation Epic Fury on his Truth Social account.

He says "…there will likely be more [U.S. casualties] before it ends, that’s the way it is, likely be more.”

WATCH: pic.twitter.com/dT8cRZAU8w

— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) March 1, 2026

“We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems. Just now, it was announced that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building, all in a matter of literally minutes.

The President went on: “Earlier today, CENTCOM shared the news that three U.S. military service members have been killed in action. As one nation, we grieve for the true American patrions who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives, we pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more, before it ends, that’s the way it is, likely be more.”

President Trump concluded with another appeal to the Iranian people to rise up against the Islamic regime: “I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military, and the Police to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death. It will be certain death. won’t be pretty. I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country. America is with you. I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we will be there to help.”

President Donald J. Trump has issued the following statement on the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.  As ever, The National Pulse is first to the full story. Please donate today to support our work. Read the story as it broke.

A full transcript follows beneath the video:

pic.twitter.com/BZuJDudLej

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026

TRANSCRIPT:

A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.

Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.

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.

Among the regime’s very first acts was to back a violent takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days.

In 1983, Iran’s proxies carried out the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 American military personnel.

In 2000, they knew and were probably involved with the attack on the USS Cole.

Many died.

Iranian forces killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq.

The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as U.S. Naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes.

It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer.

From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained, and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts.

And it was a ranch proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous October 7th attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage.

It was brutal.

Something like the world has never seen before.

Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.

It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular, my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon.

I’ll say it again.

They can never have a nuclear weapon.

That is why in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal.

We tried, they wanted to do it, they didn’t want to do it.

Again, they wanted to do it, they didn’t want to do it, they didn’t know what was happening.

They just wanted to practice evil.

But Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades; they’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.

Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the American homeland.

Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.

For these reasons, the United States military has undertaken a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical, dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.

We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.

It will be totally, again, obliterated.

We’re going to annihilate their Navy.

We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces and no longer use their IEDs or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans, and we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

It’s a very simple message.

They will never have a nuclear weapon.

This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces.

I built and rebuilt our military and my first administration, and there is no military on Earth, even close to its power, strength, or sophistication.

My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. Personnel in the region.

Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill.

The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. 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.

We pray for every service member, as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran.

We ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm’s way, and we trust that, with his help, the men and women of the armed forces will prevail.

We have the greatest in the world, and they will prevail.

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

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

Finally, 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, take over your government.

It will be yours to take.

This 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.

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.

May God bless the brave men and women of America’s armed forces. May God bless the United States of America.

May God bless you all.

Thank you.