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I Want Iran to Be Free More Than Anything. I Also Don’t Trust Trump.

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28.02.2026

I Want Iran to Be Free More Than Anything. I Also Don’t Trust Trump.

The president can talk about how he cares about the freedom of Iranians all he wants, but his actions make that hard to believe.

On Saturday, Iranians were going about their morning routine when they suddenly learned they were being bombed. President Donald Trump, with no prior authorization from Congress, joined Israel in what he called “major combat operations” to eliminate “imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

Speaking directly to the people of Iran, he called for regime change. “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.”

What we know so far is these attacks are far more intense than the June strikes that targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and its top leaders. The current bombing campaign is already expected to last several days. One senior U.S. official told CNN that there will be an escalating series of strikes, with each round expected to last one to two days, followed by a pause to reset and assess damage. (The official added that there will be off-ramps along the way.)

So far, the strikes have hit cities throughout Iran including Tehran, Qom, Karaj, Isafahan, Tabriz, Kermanshah, and more. Israeli officials have said they are targeting all Iranian leaders (past and present), including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh, Khamenei’s top security adviser Ali Shamkhani, and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The supreme leader’s compound in Tehran was razed to the........

© New Republic