Esther Oseyiomon
United States President, Donald Trump, has urged the Iranian people to “take over your government,” warning Iranian officials to “lay down your arms” or face “certain death,” as Washington deploys more than 10,000 additional troops, two aircraft carriers, multiple destroyers and hundreds of fighter jets to the Middle East.
In a video message posted on Truth Social, Trump told Iranians that the moment presented what he described as a rare generational opportunity to seize power. “When we are finished, take over your government,” he said. “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.”
He added, “Now is the time to seize control of your destiny. The hour of your freedom is at hand,” while accusing Tehran of funding terrorist proxies that have “soaked the Earth with blood and guts,” insisting the United States would no longer tolerate what he called “mass terror.”
Trump also warned Iranian officials directly, saying they must “lay down your arms” or “you will face certain death,” while encouraging citizens to rise and assume control of their country.
Ahead of the strikes, the U.S. president built up what officials describe as the largest American military presence in the Middle East in decades, significantly expanding naval and air assets across the region.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived at the end of January, followed by the USS Gerald R. Ford and four additional destroyers dispatched from the Caribbean and now positioned in the Mediterranean.
The deployments have added more than 10,000 U.S. troops to the region, alongside thousands already stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, with hundreds of fighter jets and support aircraft placed on standby, underscoring a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.