2026年3月18日，以色列总理内塔尼亚胡：我正与以色列国防部长、参谋长、摩萨德局长、空军司令以及我军的高级指挥官们在一起。在过去24小时内，我们成功击毙了伊朗最高国家安全委员会秘书阿里•拉里贾尼及伊朗革命卫队巴斯基民兵指挥官戈拉姆雷扎•苏菜曼尼。

我们的战机正对地面上实施精准打击，无论是在交通路口，或是城市广场。此举旨在让英勇的伊朗人民尽情欢庆「火焰节」。

所以，尽情欢庆吧！祝大家诺鲁兹节快乐。我们在高空注视着你们。

此文来源于网络，作者不详，转载于本公号。

如作者看到觉得不妥，烦请告知，立刻删除。谢谢！

《伊朗笔记》

飞机降落在德黑兰霍梅尼国际机场的那一刻，机舱里响起了一阵细碎的窸窣声。

我转头看去，刚才在迪拜转机时还穿着吊带裙、化着精致妆容的伊朗女孩们，正熟练地从包里掏出各种颜色的头巾，将头发严严实实地裹起来。外搭的宽松长风衣也被迅速套上，遮住了原本曼妙的身体曲线。

仅仅几分钟的时间，整个机舱的色彩仿佛被调低了饱和度，从现代都市的霓虹闪烁，瞬间切换到了某种肃穆的黑白默片。

那一刻，我深吸了一口气，知道自己真正踏上了这片土地。

来伊朗之前，我听过太多关于这里的极端描述。在一种语境里，这里是"邪恶轴心"，是战火纷飞、极端保守的危险地带；

而在另一种国内文青偏爱的语境里，这里又是"神秘的波斯"，是玫瑰、夜莺、细腻画和热情好客的纯真年代。

但当我在德黑兰生活了很长一段时间后，我发现这些标签都太轻飘飘了。

实话确实刺耳，真实的伊朗既不是地狱，也不是天堂，它是一个在巨大撕裂感中艰难运转的复杂社会。

别再用我们在国内习惯的那套非黑即白的逻辑去自欺欺人了，这里发生的一切，都在不断打破我作为一个中国人的常识。

今天，我想抛开那些宏大的地缘政治叙事，像个老朋友一样，跟你聊聊我在伊朗街头巷尾、在普通人家客厅里经历的那些鸡毛蒜皮。

因为正是这些让人崩溃、震惊又最终释然的细节，拼凑出了这个国家最真实的现状。

第一重冲击：让我"社死"的极限推拉——"塔洛夫"（Ta’arof）

刚到德黑兰的第二周，我经历了一次堪称"社死"的文化碰撞。

那天傍晚，我下班路过住处附近的一家传统烤饼店（Sangak）。

那种饼是在滚烫的小石子上烤出来的，麦香混合着一点点焦糊味，在微凉的空气里特别诱人。

我排在几个裹着黑袍的大妈后面，轮到我时，我指了指刚出炉的一张大饼，用生涩的波斯语问："多少钱？"

满脸胡渣、看起来非常粗犷的胖老板，把热腾腾的饼递给我，右手放在胸口，微微欠身，笑着说了一句我后来一辈子都忘不掉的话："Ghaabeli nadaare."（这不值一提/您不用付钱）。

作为一个习惯了扫码支付、一手交钱一手交货的中国人，我当时的内心戏是：哇塞！伊朗人民真的像传说中那么热情好客吗？连买个饼都对外国人免单？

我受宠若惊地用波斯语说了句"谢谢"，心安理得地抱着饼转身就走。

才走出没两步，我就感觉背后的气氛不对。排队的大妈们用一种看外星人的眼神盯着我，老板脸上的笑容僵住了，手还尴尬地停在半空。

幸好队伍里有个懂英语的年轻人快步走上来，拉住我的胳膊，压低声音说："朋友，你得付钱。老板只是在跟你客气。"

我当时的脸"唰"地一下就红到了脖子根，恨不得找个地缝钻进去。

我赶紧掏出钱跑回去塞给老板，连声道歉。老板依然保持着微笑，收下钱，再次把手放在胸口说："感谢您的光临。"

这就是伊朗社会最底层的运行逻辑之一，也是折磨了无数外国人的终极社交密码——"塔洛夫"（Ta‘arof）。

实话确实刺耳，但这就是伊朗现状。

"塔洛夫"很难用一个中文词来准确翻译，它有点像我们中国人逢年过节推拒红包时的"极限推拉"，但在伊朗，这种推拉被无限放大，渗透到了生活的每一个毛孔。

你坐出租车，到了目的地，司机大概率会说"不用给钱了，您是我的座上宾"；

你去买地毯，老板会说"这地毯配不上您的高贵，直接拿走吧"；

你去伊朗人家里做客，哪怕主人自己已经穷得快揭不开锅了，也会把家里最好的一块肉端到你面前，并且坚称自己一点都不饿。

一开始，我极其反感这种文化。我觉得这简直就是虚伪，是无效沟通。

在我们中国人的观念里，买卖就是买卖，明码标价，效率至上；请客就是请客，行就行，不行就不行。

为什么非要玩这种猜心思的游戏？

有一天，我和我的伊朗同事阿里在一家地下咖啡馆（是的，德黑兰有很多没有任何招牌、藏在地下室的咖啡馆）。

喝茶时，我向他抱怨了这种让我精疲力尽的社交方式。

阿里搅动着红茶里的藏红花冰糖，苦笑了一下，对我说："兄弟，你觉得这是虚伪，但对我们来说，这是尊严。你看看外面的世界，看看我们的货币贬值成了什么样。在物质极其匮乏、生活极其不确定的情况下，我们普通人还能掌控什么？只有体面。"

他说，很多时候司机说"不要钱"，是因为他觉得直接要钱显得自己像个贪婪的穷人，他需要通过这种仪式感，找回一点作为人的高贵。哪怕最后钱还是一分不少地收进了口袋，但在这个过程中，双方完成了一次"我尊重你，你也尊重我"的确认。

阿里的这番话像一记重锤敲在我心上。我突然意识到，我的那种"实用主义"评判标准是多么居高临下。当我们身处一个经济腾飞、物质充裕的社会时，我们当然可以追求直接和高效。但在这片被制裁了几十年、通货膨胀率动辄百分之四十、普通人生活在巨大压力下的土地上，"塔洛夫"就像是一层温柔的润滑剂，或者说是底层人民互相搀扶的拐杖。他们用这种繁琐到近乎荒谬的礼貌，小心翼翼地维护着彼此那点脆弱的自尊心。

当物质的里子已经千疮百孔时，面子，就成了他们唯一能死死抓住的体面。

实话确实刺耳，但这就是伊朗现状。

第二重冲击：门里门外的平行宇宙

如果说"塔洛夫"只是社交层面上的迷雾，那么伊朗人的"双面生活"，则是真正触及这个社会核心逻辑的震撼。

在伊朗生活了半年后，阿里邀请我去他家吃晚饭。这是我第一次真正走进德黑兰普通中产阶级的私密空间。

阿里的家在德黑兰北部，这里相对富裕，但从外面看，街道依然是灰扑扑的。高高的围墙，厚重的铁门，窗户上拉着严严实实的厚窗帘，从外面根本透不出一丝光亮。

走在街上，满眼都是穿着黑色罩袍的女人和穿着深色夹克的男人，空气中弥漫着一种压抑、沉闷的安静。阿里掏出钥匙，打开那扇沉重的铁门，拉着我迅速闪身进去，然后"砰"地一声把门反锁。

穿过一条昏暗的走廊，推开客厅门的瞬间，我整个人都懵了，仿佛一脚踏入了一个平行宇宙。客厅里灯火通明，音响里正放着节奏感极强的欧美流行乐。

阿里的妹妹法尔纳兹刚才在街上接我时，还裹着严实的黑色头巾，穿着长风衣；此刻，她已经脱掉了那些厚重的外壳，穿着一件亮片吊带裙，化着极具波斯风情的浓妆，正端着一杯暗红色的液体在沙发上跟着音乐摇摆。"来，尝尝我爸爸亲手酿的酒。"法尔纳兹笑着把杯子递给我。

在伊朗，饮酒是严格违法的，一旦被发现，面临的可能是严厉的鞭刑。但这根本无法阻止伊朗人在紧闭的家门后自己酿酒。甚至有句当地的玩笑话说："全德黑兰的地下室都在发酵葡萄。"

那天晚上，我们吃着烤肉，喝着自酿的红酒，看着被偷偷安装的卫星电视接收进来的国外娱乐节目。

男女混合在一起跳舞、大笑、辩论，气氛热烈得就像在北京的三里屯或者上海的巨鹿路。

酒过三巡，我忍不住问法尔纳兹："你们每天在外面和在家里完全是两个人，不觉得撕裂吗？不累吗？"

法尔纳兹脸上的笑容稍微收敛了一些。她走到窗边，撩起厚重窗帘的一角，看了一眼外面漆黑寂静的街道，然后转过头看着我："累啊，怎么可能不累？" 

她的语气里有一种超越她年龄的沧桑，"但这就是我们的生存之道。在伊朗，我们有一个概念叫‘Zaher’（外在）和‘Baten’（内在）。门外面的那个世界，是属于规矩的、属于审查的，我们在那里扮演他们需要我们扮演的角色；但门里面的这个世界，是属于我们自己的，是我们灵魂的避难所。"

她指了指自己身上的吊带裙说："你以为我们在家里穿成这样、偷偷喝酒，只是为了贪图享乐吗？不，这是一种抵抗。当我们无法改变外面的世界时，我们至少要保证自己内心的领地不被完全侵蚀。"

我沉默了。在我的文化背景里，"表里如一"是一种美德，但在伊朗的特定语境下，"表里不一"却成了人们保全自我、维持理智的唯一方式。

我们国内的媒体往往容易陷入两种极端的叙事：要么觉得伊朗人全都是狂热的保守派，要么觉得他们全都是渴望被西方拯救的受害者。

但真实的他们，其实是在这两极之间艰难走钢丝的普通人。他们既不想失去自己的信仰和传统，也不愿被死板的教条扼杀对现代美好生活的向往。

于是，厚重的家门成了一道结界。门外，是妥协与沉默；门里，是狂欢与自由。这种巨大撕裂感带来的心理内耗是外人难以想象的，这才是伊朗社会真正的痛点所在。

别再自欺欺人地认为他们甘之如饴，或者认为他们随时准备玉石俱焚，大部分人只是在夹缝中，拼尽全力过一种"正常"的生活。

实话确实刺耳，但这就是伊朗现状。

Notes on Iran

Source: Internet (Author Unknown)

The moment the plane touched down at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, a subtle rustling filled the cabin. I turned my head to see the Iranian girls—who, just moments ago during our layover in Dubai, were wearing camisole dresses and exquisite makeup—deftly pulling colorful headscarves from their bags. They wrapped their hair tightly; loose, oversized trench coats were quickly thrown on, masking the curves of their bodies. In just a few minutes, the color saturation of the entire cabin seemed to plummet, shifting from the neon pulse of a modern metropolis to the somber tones of a black-and-white silent film. In that breath, I knew I had truly set foot on this land.

Before coming to Iran, I had heard too many extreme descriptions. In one narrative, this is the "Axis of Evil"—a dangerous zone of war and religious extremism. In another, favored by Chinese "literary youth," it is "Mysterious Persia"—a land of roses, nightingales, fine miniatures, and ancient hospitality. But after living in Tehran for a long time, I realized these labels are far too flimsy.

The truth is indeed piercing: Real Iran is neither hell nor heaven. It is a complex society struggling to function within a massive internal fracture.Stop deceiving yourself with the black-and-white logic we are used to back home. Everything happening here shattered my common sense as a Chinese person. Today, I want to set aside the grand geopolitical narratives and talk to you like an old friendaboutthe trivialities I experienced in Tehran’s back alleys and living rooms. It is these moments—frustrating, shocking, and ultimately liberating—that piece together the true reality of this country.

The First Shock: The Social Death Trap of "Ta’arof"

During my second week in Tehran, I experienced a cultural collision that felt like "social death." One evening after work, I passed a traditional Sangak bakery. The bread is baked on scorching pebbles; the aroma of wheat mixed with a hint of char was intoxicating in the cool air. I stood behind several aunts wrapped in black chadors. When my turn came, I pointed to a fresh loaf and asked in my broken Persian, "How much?"

The owner—a rugged-looking man with a thick beard—handed me the steaming bread, placed his right hand over his heart, bowed slightly, and said something I will never forget: "Ghaabeli nadaare" (It is nothing / You don’t need to pay).

As a Chinese person used to QR code payments and "cash for goods" efficiency, my internal monologue was: Wow! Are Iranians really as hospitable as the legends say? Do they give foreigners free bread? Flattered, I said "Thank you" in Persian and turned to leave with the bread.

I hadn’t gone two steps before the atmosphere behind me felt off. The aunts in line were staring at me like I was an alien. The smile on the owner’s face froze, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air. Fortunately, a young man in line who spoke English rushed up, grabbed my arm, and whispered: "Friend, you have to pay. The owner is just being polite."

My face turned beet red instantly. I scrambled back, shoved the money toward the owner, and apologized profusely. He maintained his smile, took the money, and again placed his hand over his heart: "Thank you for your patronage."

This is the foundational logic of Iranian society and the ultimate social riddle that tortures foreigners: Ta’arof.

The truth is piercing, but this is the reality. Ta’arof is hard to translate. It is somewhat like the "back-and-forth" struggle Chinese people have when refusing a red envelope, but in Iran, it is amplified and permeates every pore of life. You take a taxi, and the driver says, "Don’t pay, you are my guest." You buy a carpet, and the owner says, "This isn’t worthy of your nobility, just take it." You visit a home, and even if the host is so poor they can barely afford a meal, they will place the best cut of meat in front of you and insist they aren’t hungry.

Initially, I loathed this. I thought it was hypocrisy and inefficient communication. In the Chinese mindset, a deal is a deal—fixed prices, efficiency first. But one day, my colleague Ali and I were in an underground cafe (Tehran is full of these signless basements). Over tea, I complained about this exhausting social dance.

Ali stirred the saffron sugar stick in his tea and gave a bitter smile. "Brother, you think it’s hypocrisy, but for us, it’s dignity. Look at the world outside. Look at how much our currency has devalued. In a world of extreme material scarcity and uncertainty, what can we ordinary people still control? Only ourdecency."

He said that when a driver says "no money," he does it because asking for money directly makes him feel like a greedy pauper. He needs this ritual to reclaim a sliver of human nobility. Even if the money ends up in his pocket eventually, the process confirms a mutual "I respect you, and you respect me."

Ali’s words hit me like a sledgehammer. I realized how condescending my "utilitarian" standards were. When we live in a booming economy with material abundance, we can afford to be direct and efficient. But in a land sanctioned for decades, with 40% inflation, Ta’arof is a gentle lubricant—a crutch for the common people. They use this absurdly complex politeness to carefully guard each other’s fragile self-esteem. When the "lining" of material life is shredded, the "face" becomes the only decency they can cling to.

The Second Shock: Parallel Universes

If Ta’arof is a mist on the surface, the "double life" of Iranians is the shock that touches the core logic of the society. After six months, Ali invited me to dinner. This was my first time entering the private space of the Tehran middle class.

Ali’s home was in North Tehran. It’s wealthier there, but from the outside, the streets are still grey. High walls, heavy iron doors, and thick curtains drawn so tight not a sliver of light escapes. On the street, you see women in black chadors and men in dark jackets—a heavy, muffled silence hangs in the air.

Ali pulled out his keys, opened the heavy iron gate, pulled me inside quickly, and bolted it shut with a bang. We walked through a dim hallway, and the moment he pushed open the living room door, I was stunned. I had stepped into a parallel universe.

The room was brilliantly lit. The speakers were blasting high-energy Western pop. Ali’s sister, Farnaz—who had been wrapped in a black headscarf and a long coat when she met me—had shed those heavy shells. She was wearing a sequined camisole dress, sporting bold Persian-style makeup, and swaying to the music with a glass of dark red liquid.

"Here, try the wine my father made," Farnaz laughed, handing me a glass. In Iran, alcohol is strictly illegal and punishable by flogging. But that doesn’t stop Iranians from brewing wine in their closed homes. There’s a local joke: "The basements of all Tehran are fermenting grapes."

That night, we ate kebabs, drank homemade wine, and watched foreign entertainment via illegal satellite dishes. Men and women danced together, laughed, and debated. The vibe was as vibrant as Sanlitun in Beijing or Julu Road in Shanghai.

A few drinks in, I asked Farnaz: "Don’t you feel torn? Isn’t it exhausting to be two completely different people inside and outside these doors?"

Farnaz’s smile faded slightly. She walked to the window, lifted a corner of the heavy curtain to look at the dark, silent street outside, and turned back to me. "Of course it’s exhausting," she said with a weariness beyond her years. "But this is our survival. In Iran, we have the concepts of Zaher (the outer) and Baten (the inner). The world outside belongs to the rules and the censors; we play the roles they need us to play. But the world inside is ours—it is the sanctuary for our souls."

She pointed to her dress. "You think we dress like this and drink secretly just for pleasure? No. It’s a form of resistance. When we cannot change the world outside, we must at least ensure that the territory of our inner hearts is not completely eroded."

I fell silent. In my culture, "consistency between inner and outer" is a virtue. But in Iran, "inconsistency" is the only way people preserve their sanity and themselves. Our media tends to fall into two extremes: either Iranians are all fanatical conservatives, or they are all victims waiting to be "saved" by the West.

But the real them are ordinary people walking a tightrope between these two poles. They don’t want to lose their faith or traditions, but they won’t be suffocated by rigid dogma either. Thus, the heavy front door becomes a boundary. Outside: compromise and silence. Inside: carnival and freedom. This internal friction causes a psychological exhaustion that outsiders can hardly imagine.

Stop deceiving yourself by thinking they enjoy it, or that they are ready to burn everything down. Most are just using every ounce of their strength to live a "normal" life in the cracks.

The truth is piercing, but this is the reality of Iran.

2026年2月28日，以色列总理内塔尼亚胡宣布，美国和以色列发动军事行动的目标是推翻伊朗政权。

 2026 年 2 月 28 日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump） 在针对伊朗的军事行动背景下，8分钟演讲全文

【中文】

不久前，美军在伊朗展开了大规模作战行动。我们的目标是通过消除伊朗政权的迫在眉睫的威胁来保卫美国人民。伊朗政权是一个极其顽固、可怕的邪恶组织。其威胁性活动直接危及美国、我们的军队、我们在海外的基地以及我们在世界各地的盟友。

47年来，伊朗政权一直高喊"美国去死"，并发动了一场永无休止的流血和屠杀运动，其目标直指美国、美军以及众多国家的无辜民众。该政权上台之初，便支持暴力占领美国驻德黑兰大使馆，并将数十名美国人质扣押长达444天。1983年，伊朗的代理人在贝鲁特制造了海军陆战队兵营爆炸案，造成241名美国军人丧生。

2000年，他们知晓并可能参与了对"科尔"号驱逐舰的袭击。许多人丧生。伊朗军队在伊拉克杀害和致残了数百名美国军人。

近年来，该政权的代理人持续对驻扎在中东的美军以及在国际航道上航行的美国海军和商船发动无数次袭击。这是大规模恐怖主义，我们绝不会再容忍。从黎巴嫩到也门，从叙利亚到伊拉克，该政权武装、训练并资助恐怖民兵，这些民兵让这片土地血流成河。

正是伊朗的代理人哈马斯发动了10月7日针对以色列的骇人听闻的袭击，屠杀了1000多名无辜民众，其中包括46名美国人，并劫持了12名美国公民为人质。这是一场惨绝人寰的暴行，是世界前所未见的。伊朗是世界头号恐怖主义国家赞助者，就在不久前，他们还在街头镇压抗议活动，杀害了数万名本国公民。

美国，特别是我的政府，一贯的政策是，绝不允许这个恐怖主义政权拥有核武器。我再说一遍，他们绝不可能拥有核武器。

正因如此，在去年6月的"午夜铁锤"行动中，我们摧毁了伊朗政权在福尔多、纳坦兹和伊斯法罕的核计划。在那次袭击之后，我们警告他们永远不要恢复其恶意发展核武器的计划，并多次寻求达成协议。我们努力了。

他们想做，他们不想做。他们又想做。他们不想做。他们不知道要做什么。他们只是想作恶。

但伊朗拒绝了，就像几十年来一样。他们拒绝了每一次放弃核野心的机会，我们再也无法容忍了。相反，他们试图重建他们的核计划，并继续开发远程导弹，这些导弹现在可以威胁我们在欧洲的非常好的朋友和盟友，我们驻扎在海外的军队，并且可能很快就会到达美国本土。

试想一下，如果这个政权真的拥有核武器，并以此作为传递其信息的手段，他们会有多么嚣张跋扈。正因如此，美国军方正在开展一场大规模且持续进行的行动，以阻止这个邪恶的极端独裁政权威胁美国及其核心国家安全利益。我们将摧毁他们的导弹，彻底摧毁他们的导弹工业。

它将再次被彻底摧毁。我们将摧毁他们的海军。我们将确保该地区的恐怖主义代理人不再能够破坏地区乃至世界的稳定，不再能够袭击我们的军队，也不再能够使用简易爆炸装置或路边炸弹来造成成千上万的人伤亡，其中包括许多美国人。

我们将确保伊朗不会获得核武器。信息很简单：他们永远不会拥有核武器。

这个政权很快就会明白，任何人都不应挑战美国武装部队的实力和威力。在我的第一届任期内，我建立并重建了我们的军队，世界上没有任何一支军队的实力、力量或技术水平能与之匹敌。我的政府已采取一切可能的措施，最大限度地降低美国人员在该地区面临的风险。

即便如此，我并非轻率地发表此番言论，伊朗政权的意图是杀戮。勇敢的美国英雄可能会牺牲，我们可能会有伤亡，这在战争中屡见不鲜，但我们这样做并非为了眼前的利益。我们这样做是为了未来，这是一项崇高的使命。

我们为每一位军人祈祷，他们无私地冒着生命危险，以确保美国人民和我们的子孙后代永远不会受到拥有核武器的伊朗的威胁。我们祈求上帝保佑所有身处险境的英雄，我们相信，在他的帮助下，武装部队的男女官兵必将取得胜利。我们拥有世界上最伟大的军队，他们必将胜利。

今晚，我要对伊斯兰革命卫队成员、武装部队成员以及所有警察说：你们必须放下武器，然后就可以获得完全豁免权，否则，必死无疑。所以，放下武器。你们将得到公平对待，获得完全豁免权，否则必死无疑。

最后，我要对伟大而骄傲的伊朗人民说，你们的自由时刻即将到来。待在室内。不要离开家。外面非常危险。炸弹将落遍各地。当我们完成任务后，你们要接管政府。它将属于你们。这可能是你们几代人唯一的机会。多年来，你们一直向美国寻求帮助，但从未得到过。

没有哪位总统愿意做我今晚愿意做的事。现在你们有了一位总统，他正在给予你们想要的一切。那么，让我们看看你们会如何回应。

美国正以压倒性的力量和毁灭性的威力支持你们。现在是时候掌控你们的命运，释放触手可及的繁荣辉煌的未来了。现在是行动的时刻。不要让机会溜走。

愿上帝保佑美国武装部队的勇敢男女。愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。愿上帝保佑你们所有人。谢谢。

【English】

Moments ago, the United States military launched a large-scale operation in Iran. Our goal is to protect the American people by eliminating the imminent threat from the Iranian regime. The Iranian regime is an extremely stubborn, horrific evil organization. Its threatening activities directly endanger the United States, our military, our bases overseas, and our allies around the world.

For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted "Death to America" and waged an endless campaign of bloodshed and murder targeting the United States, our military, and innocent people in countless nations. At the start of its rule, the regime supported the violent takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held dozens of American hostages for 444 days. In 1983, Iranian proxies carried out the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. service members.

In 2000, they knew about and may have participated in the attack on the USS Cole. Many lives were lost. Iranian forces have killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq.

In recent years, the regime’s proxies have launched countless attacks on U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East and on U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels sailing international waterways. This is mass terrorism, and we will no longer tolerate it. From Lebanon to Yemen, Syria to Iraq, the regime arms, trains, and funds terrorist militias that have drenched the region in blood.

It was Iran’s proxy, Hamas, that carried out the horrific October 7th attack on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, and taking 12 American citizens hostage. This was an unspeakable atrocity, the likes of which the world has never seen. Iran is the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism. Just recently, they crushed protests in the streets, killing tens of thousands of their own citizens.

The policy of the United States, and especially my administration, has always been: this terrorist regime will never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon. Let me say it again: they will never have a nuclear weapon.

That is why, in last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, we destroyed the Iranian regime’s nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. After that strike, we warned them never to resume their malicious nuclear weapons development, and we sought a deal many times. We tried.

They wanted to do it, they didn’t. They wanted to again. They didn’t. They didn’t know what to do. They just wanted to be evil.

But Iran refused, as it has for decades. It rejected every chance to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and we can no longer tolerate it. Instead, they are trying to rebuild their nuclear program and continue developing long-range missiles that now threaten our great friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas, and could soon reach the United States homeland.

Imagine how arrogant this regime would be if it actually had nuclear weapons to deliver its message. That is why the United States military is conducting a large-scale, ongoing operation to stop this evil, extremist dictatorship from threatening the United States and our core national security interests. We will destroy their missiles. We will completely obliterate their missile industry.

It will be totally destroyed again. We will destroy their navy. We will ensure that terrorist proxies in the region can no longer destabilize the region and the world, attack our military, or use IEDs or roadside bombs to kill and maim thousands, including many Americans.

We will ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. The message is simple: they will never have a nuclear weapon.

This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the power and might of the United States Armed Forces. During my first term, I built and rebuilt our military, and no military on Earth matches its strength, power, or technological capability. My administration has taken every possible step to minimize risk to American personnel in the region.

Even so, I do not say this lightly. The Iranian regime intends to kill. Brave American heroes may be lost. We may suffer casualties. This happens in war. But we do not do this for short-term gain. We do this for the future. This is a noble mission.

We pray for every service member who selflessly risks their life to ensure the American people and our children and grandchildren are never threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran. We ask God to protect all heroes in harm’s way, and we believe, with His help, the men and women of our armed forces will prevail. We have the greatest military in the world, and they will win.

Tonight, I say to the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the armed forces, and all police: you must lay down your arms, and you will receive full amnesty. If you do not, you will die. So lay down your arms. You will be treated fairly, given full amnesty, or you will die.

Finally, to the great, proud people of Iran: your moment of freedom is coming. Stay indoors. Do not leave your homes. It is very dangerous outside. Bombs will fall everywhere. When we finish our mission, you will take over the government. It will be yours. This may be your only chance for generations. For years, you have begged the United States for help, and you never got it.

No president has ever been willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you everything you want. So let’s see how you respond.

The United States stands with you with overwhelming force and devastating power. Now is the time to take control of your destiny and unlock the prosperous, brilliant future within your reach. Now is the time to act. Do not let this opportunity slip away.

God bless the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. God bless the United States of America. God bless you all. Thank you.