War on Iran | The story of a shipwrecked hegemon
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- Donald Trump told Iranians on February 28 to "take over your government" after the U.S. and Israel launched an all-out war on Iran, calling it "probably your only chance for generations."
- Trump ordered the IRGC, armed forces, and police to "lay down" weapons, offering "total immunity" or warning of "certain death."
- The February 28 strikes killed more than 40 senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Defence Council chief Ali Shamkhani.
- Israeli officials had likened their June 12, 2025 strike on Iran—which killed multiple military officers—to the "Red Wedding" massacre from Game of Thrones; the source says that earlier attack "paled in comparison" with the February 28 bombardment.
Why it matters: The February 28 strikes eliminated Iran's Supreme Leader and 40+ top officials in a single day, decapitating the command structure of a nuclear-armed state. Trump's explicit public call for regime change—addressed directly to the IRGC and military—signals the U.S. objective is government collapse, not just military degradation, and reframes the June 2025 strike as a lesser precursor in a dramatically escalating campaign.
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