Well, that’s one way to put it. Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday morning that the US military, alongside the defence forces of Israel, has launched a ‘major combat operation’ against Iran – with bombs dropping across strategic locations in the country earlier this morning.
CONFIRMED: US launches military operation against IRAN
Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, following violent clashes between Iranian citizens and their authorities. While framing this as an exercise in liberation, President Trump also stressed that dismantling the Islamic nation’s nuclear capabilities was a top priority.
The Republican leader vowed to ‘annihilate’ Iran’s missile industry and its Navy, and called upon the public to ‘take control from their government’. He was also bullish in describing just how intensive this campaign would be, speculating that ‘the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost’ in combat.
These new developments come just months after the Trump Administration launched strikes in both Nigeria and Venezuela, capturing and arresting the president of the latter state. Now, as Tehran finds itself under siege, that FIFA Peace Prize rings somewhat hollow.
Donald Trump’s approval rating
According to The Economist’s live tracker, the president has harboured a negative approval rating for almost a year, dropping to a record low this month.
The Republican leader has seen his approval rating drop to -18 in February. It’s worse than anything he recorded during his slightly more moderate first-term and, by a substantial margin, is worse figure than Joe Biden saw during his four years in the Oval Office.
Political scandals have dogged Donald since he was re-elected in November 2024. Alongside accusations of corruption and economic mismanagement, the release of the Epstein Files has been particularly damaging – and he is mentioned thousands of times in the documents.
Now, amid cross-party condemnation, Trump is forging ahead with direct military conflict in Iran.