Over the past 36 hours, the United States and its partners have launched Operation Epic Fury, one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen.

Nobody's seen anything like it.

We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems.

Just now, it was announced that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building, all in a matter of literally minutes.

Iran's formerly Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead.

This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries.

Last night, all over Iran, the voices of the Iranian people could be heard cheering and celebrating in the streets when his death was announced.

The entire military command is gone as well, and many of them want to surrender into saving their lives. They want immunity. They're calling by the thousands.

Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.

We have very strong objectives.

They could have done something two weeks ago, but they just couldn't get there.

Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.

That is the way it is. But we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case.

America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization.

They have waged war against civilization itself.

An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American.

We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons, which would allow them to extort the world to their evil will.

Not going to let it happen. We're not gonna let it happen to us, and we're not going to let it happen to others.

The United States has the strongest military the world has ever seen. There's never been a military like we possess.

We are now using that military for good. We want to have it for good purpose.

We're undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for our own time and place, but for our children and their children, just as our ancestors have done for us many, many years ago.

This is the duty and the burden of a free people. These actions are right, and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats.

For almost 50 years, these wicked extremists have been attacking the United States while chanting the slogans "Death to America" or "Death to Israel" or both.

They are the world's number one state sponsor of terror.

We are the world's greatest and most powerful nation, so we can do something about what they do. These intolerable threats will not continue any longer.

I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military, police to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death. It will be certain death — won't be pretty.

I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country. America is with you.

I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we'll be there to help.

God bless our incredible warriors, and God bless the United States of America.

The Iranian regime's reckless use and proliferation of ballistic missiles have been a dangerous threat for decades.

Now, at the President's direction, U.S. forces are eliminating the threat.

Yesterday, Iran hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel.

The death of the Supreme Leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes. Their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians.

The only way to stop the threat is to destroy Iranian missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles.

The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.

We have taken the decision to accept this request, to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.

We will also bring experts from Ukraine together with our own experts to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them.

We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons.

We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now.