Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Just after midnight, Saskatchewan time, reports hit social and mainstream media of a massive attack by the United States and Israel on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unlike the “12 Day War” of last June, which saw Israel have a go at Iran, followed by the US using its B-2 stealth bombers to pummel Iran’s nuclear facilities, this attack appears to be much larger in scope.
However, at this point, it does not appear to be a repeat of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, in several ways. For one, the United States has not prepositioned an invasion force to put boots on the ground in Iran in any major fashion. So far, it appears to be principally air and naval forces, although there’s a significant probability of special forces involvement at some point.
But this also seems to be much wider-spread, with American bases across the Middle East as well as Israel as targets for Iranian retaliation.
At 1:44 a.m. Saskatchewan time, the president who campaigned on “no more forever wars” made the announcement of the initiation of hostilities by a pre-recored video, seen here on X:
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
For a casus belli, President Donald Trump harkened back 47 years to the 1979 Iranian revolution, and the subsequent holding of American hostages for 444 days during the Jimmy Carter administration. And he closed his statements by saying no other president has responded to Iran’s bellicose nature and a litany of proxie wars and attacks since then. He would.
He called upon Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police to lay down their arms and receive “complete imunity,” or they would be killed. But with no imminent invasion apparent, Trump called upon the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He said if they did not do so now, they might not have the opportunity again for generations.
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_20250112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_2025
- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter
- 0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Here’s Trump’s speech, verbatim:
A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.
Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. It’s menacing activities, directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.
For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted “Death to America” and waged an unending campaign of blood shed and mass murder targeting the United States, our troops and the innocent people in many, many countries. Among the regime’s very first acts was to back a violent takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for 444 days. In 1983, Iran’s proxies carried out the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut that killed 241 American military personnel. In 2000 they knew and were probably involved with the attack on the USS Cole; many died. Iranian forces killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq.
The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as US naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lands. It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer.
From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran’s proxy Hamas that launched the monstrous October 7 attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal, something like the world has never seen before.
Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror, and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_20250112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_2025
- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter
- 0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular, my administration that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again: They can never have a nuclear weapon. That is why, in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Fordoz, Natanz and Isfahan. After that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons. And we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it again. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it. They didn’t know what was happening. They just wanted to practice evil.
But Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades. They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland. Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.
For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests, we’re going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy. We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces, and no longer use their IEDs or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans, and we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon. This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States Armed Forces. I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration, and there is no military on Earth even close to its power, strength or sophistication.
My administration has taken every possible up to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region, even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this, not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.
We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear armed Iran we ask God to protect all of our heroes in harm’s way, and we trust that with his help, the men and women of the armed forces will prevail. We have the greatest in the world, and they will prevail.
To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or, in the alternative, face certain death. So lay down your arms you will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death.
Finally, 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. This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.
May God bless the brave men and women of America’s Armed Forces. May God bless the United States of America. May God bless you all. Thank you.
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_20250112 SASPO-2896_Right of Way_Awareness_2025
- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter
- 0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001