United States President Donald Trump said the U.S. has begun “major combat operations” in Iran.

“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 innocent people in many, many countries,” he said.

Donald Trump remarked that the goal of the military operation is to destroy nuclear weapons.

“We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon,” he stated.

The U.S. President also addressed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

“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,” he said.