As he made his remarks, fears continued to rise that the US and Israeli war on Iran was spreading throughout the Middle East, not only affecting Washington's Arab allies, but also non-Gulf nations, such as Azerbaijan, Turkey, and even Sri Lanka, some 3,900 kilometers away.
Trump, speaking at the White House on March 5, urged security forces to side with the Iranian public and help bring down the government that has ruled the country since the 1989 Iranian Revolution.
“I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military, and the police to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country.”
He emphasized those who surrender would receive protection. “We’ll give you immunity,” Trump said, adding that those who defect would be on “the right side of history.”
“You’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death. And I don’t want to see that,” he said.
Trump also appealed to Iranian diplomats stationed abroad to seek asylum and assist in shaping Iran's future.
“We urge Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and help us shape a new and better Iran with great potential,” he said.
The US president claimed that Iranian military capabilities had been severely degraded during recent fighting.
“In three days, their anti-aircraft weapons are gone. They have no air force. They have no air defense,” Trump said. “All of their airplanes are gone. Their communications are gone.”
He also said roughly 60 percent of Iran’s missiles and 64 percent of its launchers had been destroyed and that the country’s navy had lost 24 ships.
“Their navy is gone,” he said.
He accused Tehran of previously aiming missiles at several Gulf countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
“They were going after the entire Middle East,” Trump said. “Then we came along. We blew up their party.”
